
THE 




SALEM FIRE 



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ARTHUR B. JONES 




Class f^"'^^ 
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COP^-RIGHT DEPOSnV 




Arthur B. Jones 



THE SALEM FIRE 



BY 



ARTHUR B. JONES 



Formerly Assistant Chief, now 

a member of Hose Company 

Number 2 of Salem 

Illustrated with Photographs 




BOSTON 

THE GORHAM PRESS 

I914 



Copyright, 1914, by Arthur B. Jones 



All Rights Reserved 



The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 



SEP 30 1914 



ci.a:38063:} 



The author dedicates this hook to the 
hoys with whom he has worked shoulder to 
shoulder in fighting the flames, loyal friends, 
good fellows and faithful puhlic servants, to 
the visiting firemen, who so promptly and 
willingly answered the call on that day we 
shall never forget, driven from position after 
position hy the advancing flames, enduring 
all hardships gladly in an endeavor to help 
those who needed their aid. 



PREFACE 

THE author began his work in the 
Salem Fire Department as a substi- 
tute in 1890, and since then, with 
the exception of a year and a half, 
during 1894 and 1895, while working in 
Maiden and Cambridgeport, and during two 
months following his failure of re-election as 
assistant chief, has been connected with the 
said department. He has studied the fire 
question in all its phases, read papers at meet- 
ings of the Massachusetts State Firemen's As- 
sociation twice, has delivered his illustrated 
fire lecture, "Soldiers of Peace," throughout 
the state, and numbers among his personal 
friends some of the ablest fire fighters in the 
world. 

He has endeavored to tell the story of the 
Salem fire in a manner that shall interest all. 
There are many lessons to be learned from 
this fire. There is probably more than $3,- 
000,000.00 loss not covered by insurance. 



6 PREFACE 

Citizens and city governments of our own and 
other cities, seeing where we were weak, may 
bring about better conditions. 

The author's thanks are due to the fol- 
lowing, C. E. Robinson of the Eastman Noz- 
zle System, Concord, N. H., Lieut. E. A. 
Rushford, Surgeon of the Second Corps of 
Cadets, Manager Butterick of the New Eng- 
land Telephone and Telegraph Company, M. 
E. Robb, photographer, Tichnor Bros., 
Boston, Mass., R. Brackett, Boston, the of- 
ficers of the fire departments who responded 
to the call for help who gave him needed in- 
formation, The Salem Evening News and 
all others who have in any way assisted him. 
The author is especially indebted to Mr. 
Walter Merriam Pratt, author of The Burn- 
ing of Chelsea, to whom he looked for ad- 
vice. 



CONTENTS 
Chapter Page 

Preface 5 

I Salem of the Past 13 

II Salem Before the Fire 17 

III The Fire Department 23 

IV Police and Electrical Depart- 

ments 28 

V The Water Supply 31 

VI The Conflagration 35 

VII Sweeping All Before It 39 

VIII Some Other Conflagrations. . 45 

IX Among the Firemen 48 

X The Visiting Firemen 52 

XI The Fight at the Mills 79 

XII Modern Buildings 84 

XIII The Militia 87 

XIV Saved and Lost 93 

XV Spark Chasers 98 

XVI Notes loi 

XVII Pathetic Incidents 109 



CONTENTS 
Chapter Page 

XVIII Red Cross Work 113 

XIX Relief Work 118 

XX A Few Days at the Camp. . . 125 

XXI The Telephone Company. ... 129 

XXII First "Come Backs" 132 

XXIII Rebuilding of Our City 134 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Arthur B. Jones Frontispiece ' 

Facing Page 

The Fire from Gallows Hill 12 

The Witchcraft Tablet 18 ^ 

Stone Marking "Leslie's Retreat*'.... 22 

Helburn Leather Company 24 

High Pressure at Baltimore 28 

Salem Police Station 32 

Where the Fire Started 34 

Mrs. Mark Smith's House 38 ^ 

At 2.30 P. M. as Seen from the High 

School 40 

Three Deckers on Canal Street 44 

St. Joseph's Church, Before and After. 48 

Auto-Combination, Salem 50 

Combination Wagon, No. i, Peabody. . 54 

Chemical, No. i, Beverly 56 

Auto-Pumper and Steam Engine, Mar- 

blehead 60 

Engine, No. 4, Lynn 64 

Orphan Asylum 66 

Motor Pumper, Chelsea 70 

Lafayette Street, Before and After. ... 72 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing Page 

Lefavor Shoe Factory 76 

Salem Hospital 80 

Stone Steps on Lafayette Street 82 

Barr and Buffum Streets 86 ' 

The Stop on the East 88 ' 

Showing Foot of Herbert Street 92 

Number 6 Weave Shed, Naumkeag 

Mills, Before and After Fire. . . 96 

Ruins at the Naumkeag Mills 98 

Cement Store House, Naumkeag Mills 102 

Where the Carr Leather Co. Stood. ... 104*^ 

Salem Electric Light Station 108 ' 

Hospital Corps Detachment, Second 

Corps Cadets 112 

Refugees in the Common, at Daylight, 

June 26 1 14 

North Shore Babies Hospital, Show- 
ing the Fire Babies 118 

Rehef Work at Now and Then Hall. . 120 

The Clothing Line 124 

Feed Tent, Forest River Park 128 

Private Branch Telephone Exchange 

for Relief Work 130 

Barber's Shop Opened June 27 134 

First Chimney Erected in the Fire Zone 136 



THE SALEM FIRE 



THE SALEM FIRE 

CHAPTER I 

Salem of the Past 

THE 'Witch City," Salem, Mass., 
originally called "Naumkeag," was 
settled in 1626. It was settled by 
Roger Conant and his companions. 
The council of Plymouth, England, granted 
the original charter, January i, 1623, giving 
them permission to settle in northern Mas- 
sachusetts. From Cape Ann, Conant's par- 
ty came here and were followed by Governor 
Endicott's company in 1628. June 24, 1629, 
Salem was incorporated and was the capital 
of Massachusetts Bay Colony until Gover- 
nor Winthrop succeeded Governor Endicott. 
Other colonists came in 1629 under Rev. 
Francis Higginson and Rev. Samuel Skelton. 
The first Protestant church in America was 
organized Aug. 6, 1629, with the Rev. Fran- 
cis Higginson as pastor and the Rev. Samuel 
13 



14 THE SALEM FIRE 

Skelton as teacher. Although they had two 
English charters, the Salem colonists paid the 
Indians in the vicinity £40 in 1686, for a 
deed of the territory embraced in the town 
limits. They did this for fear that they might 
lose their landed possessions by a forfeiture 
of the charter. 

Previous to this, Wenham, Manchester, 
Marblehead, Topsfield and Beverly had been 
taken off the Colony of Salem. Later Mid- 
dleton and Danvers, including what is now 
known as Peabody, were taken away from 
Salem. Part of Salem was given to Swamp- 
scott in 1867, and part of Peabody was an- 
nexed in 1882, leaving the boundaries as they 
now are. 

In 1692 the witchcraft delusion broke out. 
Hundreds of men and women were tried, 
most of them convicted and seventeen hanged. 
Among those put to death were Ann Pudea- 
tor, Alice Parker, Bridget Bishop, George 
Jacobs and Giles Corey. Philip and Mary 
English escaped by flight from the jail at 
Boston. 

In Salem, October 5, 1774, the first Pro- 
visional Congress assembled, by its vote re- 



SALEM OF THE PAST 15 

nounced the authority of the British Parlia- 
ment. February 26, 1775, the citizens gath- 
ered at North Bridge and prevented Leslie 
and his British soldiers from going farther, 
a compromise being made, allowing them to 
cross the bridge and immediately return. 
This was called Leslie's Retreat, and a stone 
now marks it. Salem was early identified 
with shipping. From the "ketch" Fellow- 
ship, Capt. Robert Granville, and the ship 
Essex, Capt. John Beals, the former sailing 
the seas in 1690, the latter in 1695, to the 
"Panay," one of the last of the Salem fleet to 
sail from Boston to Manila, Salem's ships 
were famous the world over. In the Revolu- 
tionary War, from 1776 to 1783, Salem fur- 
nished one hundred and ninety-six privateers- 
men, seventy-six hundred and thirty-one men 
and seventeen hundred and sixty-five guns. In 
the War of 18 12, of the two hundred and 
fifty armed vessels furnished by the entire 
country, Salem supplied thirty-one with twen- 
ty hundred and eighty-one men and one hun- 
dred and forty-seven guns. 

Salem was incorporated as a city March 
23, 1836, and was the second city in Massa- 



i6 THE SALEM FIRE 

chusetts. The Eastern Railroad received 
a charter that year, and in 1838 the first train 
was run to Boston. With the decline of ship- 
ping the business of Salem changed and the 
large manufacturers came in. The principal 
business now is the making of cotton goods, 
leather and machinery, boots, shoes and lum- 
ber products. 

Salem has many places of historical inter- 
est and is annually visited by many tourists. 
Among the places of interest may be men- 
tioned East India Marine Hall, Essex Insti- 
tute, Roger Williams House, Assembly Hall, 
Pickering House, Hawthorne's birthplace. 
Custom House, Grimshaw House, House of 
Seven Gables and Charter street burial 
ground. None of these places were harmed 
in the conflagration, although the Pickering 
House and Hawthorne's birthplace were in 
danger. 



CHAPTER II 

Salem Before the Fire 

SALEM has fifty-one hundred acres, 
assessed valuation was thirty-seven 
million two hundred and fifty thou- 
sand dollars, a population of about 
forty-eight thousand and fifty-eight hundred 
and twenty-six buildings. The Hon. John F. 
Hurley is mayor, having served as such in 
1 90 1, 1902, 1908 and 1909, and is now 
serving a three year term commencing in 

1913- 

The surface of the city is practically level. 
The streets are from twenty to one hundred 
and forty feet wide. In the principal mer- 
cantile district they are from forty to fifty 
feet wide. The building laws have been very 
unsatisfactory, but there has been no organ- 
ized effort to improve them until within the 
last two years. Modern methods of con- 
struction, heights and areas of joisted con- 

17 



1 8 THE SALEM FIRE 

structlon, protection to exposed and floor 
openings, fire escapes, stand-pipes and hose 
or sprinklers were not mentioned. Concealed 
spaces, lack of fire-stops and wire glass have 
been the cause many times of the fire spread- 
ing. 

Among the public buildings erected in the 
last few years, which are a credit to the city 
are the High School, Police Station, South 
Branch Library and the Training School, the 
latter being erected jointly by the city and the 
state. For models in their line for business, 
were the Cass and Daley shoe factory and 
the Helburn Leather Company on Goodhue 
street, Carr Bros, leather factory on Pope 
street, Wilkinson's shoe finding building on 
Winthrop street, Lougee's furniture building 
on Essex street, the number six weave shed 
and the cement store house of the Naumkeag 
Steam Cotton Company on East Gardner 
street, the Electric Light Station of the Ten- 
ney Company and the Salem Laundry Com- 
pany building on Lafayette street. Those 
in the fire zone we will discuss later as to 
their value in resisting fire. 

Some well-known weaknesses were as fol- 



mm^ y tt\t muu ut m mitt ^ 

>m m^im uiAt^ till m s^ii.D'^3, 

oij m. urn wm^mMmmti in ?im. 

m ixmimi km mntu -to m^t^i . 

. WM nwj «£*i2 mi mimii^n. 

jfk imtt iMi^mm/im mum mi 
1|keths» with kwxt m Ammu mm^] 
m A mm$i m^rmf mm ocsui^d m mt 



The Witchcraft Tablet 
Photograph by M. E. Robb, Salem 



SALEM BEFORE THE FIRE 19 

lows, defective building laws, narrow and 
crooked streets, poor water pressure and lack 
of systematic inspection of buildings with 
card record of the same. The motives of 
those who attempted to better conditions 
were misunderstood. 

Franklin H. Wentworth, now secretary of 
the National Board cf Fire Underwriters, 
when councilman in Salem in 19 10, intro- 
duced an order in regard to new roof cover- 
ings, as follows: "Every roof hereafter con- 
structed, whether within or without the fire 
limits, shall be covered with a non-combusti- 
ble roof covering satisfactory to the inspec- 
tor of buildings. 

"Whenever a non-combustible roof cover- 
ing is hereafter replaced in whole or in part, 
whether within or without the fire limits, the 
new roof covering shall be non-combustible to 
the satisfaction of the said inspector. 

"Whenever roof covering, whether within 
or without the fire limits, other than non-com- 
bustible, is hereafter replaced in whole or in 
part, the new roof covering shall be non- 
combustible, to the satisfaction of the said 
inspector if, as much as two-thirds of the 



20 THE SALEM FIRE 

superficial area of the entire roof is repaired." 
Mr. Wentworth's argument was that we 
had very few fire-resisting buildings, sur- 
rounded by thousands of conflagration-breed- 
ing roofs. He spoke in interest, he said, of 
the working class, who, after a conflagration 
must live in tents, where conditions cannot 
be the best. With their homes gone and work 
gone they would be wretched indeed. In com- 
parison to the amount of good derived, the 
small sums the landlords must expend for 
their roofs are too paltry to be considered. It 
was folly, he said, to spend money for new 
engines, chemicals and additional firemen, and 
do absolutely nothing to remove the cause of 
this ever-increasing tax. The amendment 
was killed and Mr. Wentworth was accused 
of fathering it at the behest of the insurance 
companies. 

Ex-Councilman Chas. J. Collins was an 
enthusiast on high pressure. He was one of 
the committee that visited Philadelphia. At 
the high pressure station there a pump was 
started in forty-five seconds. With a high 
pressure wagon a three and one-quarter inch 
pipe threw a stream three hundred and sixty 



SALEM BEFORE THE FIRE 21 

feet and had power enough to penetrate a 
brick wall. There was special apparatus for 
controlling the nozzles under high pressure. 
Water is drawn from the river and one sta- 
tion with seven large engines and two small 
ones, a pump attached to each engine, can pro- 
duce ninety-one hundred gallon of water per 
minute at two hundred pounds pressure. I 
cannot go further with the figures here, more 
than to say that wherever high pressure is 
successfully installed, the reduction in insur- 
ance pays for the installation. 

As applied locally, high pressure mains 
could have been installed in Salem, at a cost 
of $150,000.00, bonded over a period of ten 
years, $15,000.00 and Interest to be paid 
each year. The pipes were to protect the en- 
tire business and mercantile district, the In- 
take to be out where salt water could be 
reached at any time, the sewage pumping sta- 
tion to furnish the power. The enthusiasm of 
Charles Collins was not enough to carry it 
through and It was turned down. Some one 
good at figures could figure out how long it 
took to burn $150,000.00 on June 25th. 

Harlan P. Kelsey, of the Civic League, 



22 THE SALEM FIRE 

has delivered many illustrated lectures on 
city planning, showing how we could widen 
our streets and beautify our city. This gen- 
tleman has made a deep study of this subject 
both at home and abroad. He has some fine 
slides of pictures he took himself, among them 
some showing three and four deckers with no 
space between them. A large part of these 
have been eliminated and we believe our city 
is now ready to build the right type of homes 
and factories. 

The writer, in his illustrated lecture, "Sol- 
diers of Peace," has done his best to awaken 
the public to the danger which we all now 
appreciate to the full extent. 



CHAPTER III 
The Fire Department 

THE fire department consists of 
four engines, two ladder trucks, 
four hose and one combination 
wagon, one auto combination, one 
supply wagon, one chief's wagon and twenty- 
eight horses. The manual force consists of 
one permanent chief who sleeps at home, two 
call assistant chiefs, seventy-two call men and 
twenty-two permanent men who are in quar- 
ters twenty-one hours out of twenty-four, hav- 
ing one day off in five and thirteen days vaca- 
tion without loss of pay. 

The board of engineers is made up as fol- 
lows: Chief, William O. Arnold, Assistant 
Chiefs, Howard C. Kimball and Edward W. 
Hay. The apparatus of Engine i consists 
of one second size Amoskeag engine pur- 
chased in 1907, and a horse-drawn combina- 
tion wagon, manned as follows: Captain 

23 



24 THE SALEM FIRE 

Harrison S. Adams,* Lieutenant Terrance 
A. Nolan. Engineer Christie W. Flynn.* 
Stoker Allen J. Ryno.* Drivers John H. Car- 
ter,* James P. Buckley,* James L. HIckey.* 
Hosemen, Alfred Berube,* Thomas H. Mc- 
Donald,* Daniel A. Ward,* James F. 
Ward,* Frederick C. Taylor,* George E. 
Spearel, Adelard St. Pierre,* Benjamin 
Therlault.* Substitutes, Joseph Hobson,* 
and Theodore Peabody. 

The apparatus of Engine 2 consists of a 
horse-drawn, second size, Metropolitan en- 
gine purchased In 19 10, and a horse-drawn 
hose wagon, manned as follows : Captain, 
Benjamin H. Getchell, Lieutenant, Thomas 
A. Sanborn, Engineer, Charles E. Skinner, 
Stoker, Earnest T. Saul. Drivers, James 
Pollock and Harold J. Roundy. Hosemen, 
Charles T. Williams, Charles T. Tobin, Wil- 
liam T. Melden, William B. Hadley, Frank 
C. Tobin, Edward Walsh, James H. Roundy 
and George Estes. Substitutes, Walter Lee 
and John Little. 

The apparatus of Engine 3 consists of one 



*Lost home by fire. 




o 

X 

H 
< 



o 






o 
o 



THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 25 

horse-drawn, second size Metropolitan en- 
gine purchased in 1906 and a horse-drawn 
hose wagon with a deck gun mounted on the 
body, manned by the following members: 
Captain, Wilham G. Remon, Lieut., J. FranK 
Kemon, Engineer, William J. Dawkins, Stok- 
er, Wm. Harlow, Drivers, John J. Cunning- 
ham and Frederick W. Cloutman, Hose- 
men, Matthew Harlow, Wilham N. Noyes, 
Harry Hadley, James T. Sullivan, Joseph 
Gagnon,* N. Feadreau,* and J. Petcap.* 

The apparatus of Engine No. 4 consists of 
a second size Metropolitan engme, horse- 
drawn, purchased in 1889, and rebuilt in 1906 
and a horse-drawn hose wagon, manned by: 
Captain, William J. Weston,* Lieut., Ed- 
ward W. Beckford,* Engineer, Patrick J. 
Sweeney, Stoker, Thomas J. Harney, Driv- 
ers, Albert F. Narbis* and Thomas P. Fal- 
lon,* Hosemen, William A. Croughwell, Jef- 
frey H. Manning, William P. Tobin,* Wm. 
Brennan, Earnest Rice, Frank W. King, 
Frederick Oldson* and Albert H. Deboe. 

Ladder Co. No. i, horse-drawn city truck. 



^Lost home by fire. 



26 THE SALEM FIRE 

manned as follows : Captain, George H. Ab- 
bott,* Lieut. John Wilson, Driver, William 
H. Pollock,* Laddermen, William Robin- 
son, James A. Hoey, Harry C. Weston, Sher- 
man Steeves,* Daniel J. O'Brien, William J. 
Little,* James A. Fouhey, Edward J. Len- 
nox and James A. O'Brien. 

Ladder Co. No. 2 is a horse-drawn aerial 
truck, purchased in 1893, manned as follows: 
Captain, Richard C. Lander, Lieut., Geo. B. 
Moreland, Laddermen, Albert K. Woodbury, 
William H. Sawyer, James A. Riley, Louis 
A. Trembly,* Richard H. Lander, Earnest 
April,* Clarence H. Moore, Gihnan H. Mel- 
cher, Bernard A. McCormack,* and Driver, 
Edward W. Mason. 

Hose Co. No. 2 is a horse-drawn hose 
wagon, manned as follows : Captain Francis 
W. Hale, Lieut., Harry C. Weston, Hose- 
men, Charles W. Arnold, Arthur B. Jones, 
Arthur W. Perkins and Driver, U. De 
Grandpre.* Substitute, Patrick J. Evans. 

Auto-Combination No. i is an American 
La-France, purchased in 19 13, manned as 



*Lost home by fire. 




Stone Marking "Leslie's Retreat' 
Photograph by M. E. Robb, Salem 



THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 27 

follows : Captain, Thomas S. Pope, Chauf- 
feur, Joseph H. Flynn, Hosemen, George W. 
Whelton,* John H. Wiley, James Needham,* 
Supply Wagon Driver, James S. Keen, Relief 
Drivers, Joseph W. Gahagan,* John W. 
Hennessey, and Edward Begley. 

From December i, 19 12, to January i, 
1 9 14, this department answered alarms as 
follows: 353, of which 159 were first alarms, 
I was a second alarm, 10 were general alarms 
and 183 were still alarms. Loss was $555,- 
560.41, which was $12.08 per capita. In the 
last ten years our city grew almost 12,000 in 
population, but our fire department remained 
almost stationary. We have reduced the call 
force six men and added four men to the per- 
manent force. We have the same number of 
pieces of kit in service and own one more 
horse. There were 168 alarms in 1903, and 
the loss was $49,767.57. The cost of the 
department in 1903 was $36,542.65, and in 
1913 it was $48,906.52. 



*Lost home by fire. 



CHAPTER IV 
Police and Electrical Departments 

THE police department is in charge 
of City Marshal Patrick J. Lehan, 
who has spent over twenty-four 
years in the service. There are 
forty-five regular and twelve reserve officers. 
There are two automobiles and a motor cycle 
in use. The police officers off duty must at- 
tend all general alarms of fire. All fire alarms 
are received and transmitted by the police 
department, and all out-of-town calls attend- 
ed to. Calls were sent out by this depart- 
ment to twenty-one cities for fire apparatus, 
and they all responded, and their work will 
be spoken of later. Police were also called 
from other cities, over ninety out of town po- 
lice assisting Marshal Lehan. The follow- 
ing fire alarms were received and transmit- 
ted in less than twelve hours: 
28 



POLICE AND ELECTRICAL 29 

June 25 

BOX. TIME. 

48 1.37 P. M. 

48 (General) .... 1.41 P. M. 

58 1.52 P. M. 

39 1.56 P. M. 

515 2.17 P. M. 

Military Call 2.31 P. M. 

5^S 2.41 P. M. 

53 3.06 P. M. 

514 314 P. M. 

S'^S 327 P. M. 

513 3-48 P. M. 

513 3.55 P. M. 

54 4.43 P. M. 

537 5-55 P. M. 

613 9.06 P. M. 

81 9.18 P. M. 

43 952 P. M. 

23 10.32 P. M. 

June 26 

16 12.21 A. M. 



30 THE SALEM FIRE 

In sending out the calls for help and sum- 
moning the militiamen, the assistance of 
Manager Butterick and his fine corps of tele- 
phone operators was magnificent in Its ef- 
ficiency. 

The electrical department has been In 
charge of Charles H. Ashley for over thir- 
teen years. The apparatus is installed In 
"so-called" fire proof quarters. All wires 
are being placed under ground. There are 
eleven box, six gong and six fast-time circuits. 
These are so arranged that not over twenty 
boxes shall be on one circuit. There are one 
hundred and eight fire alarm stations or 
boxes. 



CHAPTER V 

The Water Supply 

I SHALL touch on this section very 
briefly, although it is of the utmost 
importance that we should do something 
in regard to this immediately. In chap- 
ter two I dealt much too briefly with the ef- 
forts of ex-Councilman Charles J. Collins to 
improve conditions in regard to the water sup- 
ply for fire fighting, at a very small compara- 
tive outlay. Let us see what will be done 
now. The salt water is still there and the 
sewage pumping station has not been moved. 
Let us hope this matter will be tended to 
speedily while we still have some of our city 
left. 

The water works are owned and operated 
by the city, and are in charge of P. J. Kelly, 
Director of Public Works. The supply is 
taken from two reservoirs furnishing water 
to Salem and Beverly. The Salem supply 

31 



32 THE SALEM FIRE 

is pumped 5,700 feet to a distributing reser- 
voir, and flows thence by gravity in one ser- 
vice to the city. Wenham Lake is a natural 
pond of 250 acres with a storage capacity of 
1,000,000,000 gallons. Longham basin is 
an artificial pond of 43 acres with a storage 
capacity of about 55,000,000. Available 
supply in years of ordinary rainfall, 5,000,- 
000 gallons daily. Salem and Beverly con- 
sumption, 4,000,000 gallons daily. The 
pumping station is situated on the east bank 
of Wenham Lake. 

The water enters Salem through a twenty 
inch main passing through Beverly, and a 
thirty inch main passing through Danvers. 
The twenty inch supply main enters the city 
from the north, and the thirty inch from the 
northwest, uniting at North and Bridge 
streets, continuing as a twenty inch southerly 
through the city. A twenty inch branch sup- 
plies the northwestern portion of the city. 

There are 512 city hydrants, 22 private hy- 
drants and 29 cisterns. There are 86 hy- 
drants on the 12 inch distributers or direct 
mains, 38 on the 10 inch, 108 on the 8 inch, 
204 on the 6 inch and 76 on the 4 inch. In 




3^ 



THE WATER SUPPLY 33 

the mercantile and manufacturing districts the 
hydrant spacing averages 220 feet, and in 
the residential district 400 feet. The hy- 
drant tests by the National Board of Fire 
Underwriters in 1907 showed the following 
in part. 

In the principal mercantile district, four hy- 
drants on a 12 inch main with 9 two and a 
half inch outlets and i four and a half inch 
outlet, gave 7,610 gallons at 50 pounds pres- 
sure. In the minor mercantile and residential 
district, three hydrants on a 6 inch main with 
five outlets gave 870 gallons at 54 pounds. 
In the manufacturing and mercantile district, 
four hydrants on 6 and 8 inch mains, with 8 
outlets gave 3,140 gallons at 44 pounds. 

In regard to the Lowry hydrants, which 
gave us so much trouble on June 25th, the 
two strongest claims seem to be, they will 
stand more cold without freezing, and the 
firemen can connect more lines to the chucks, 
used on this type of hydrant, than on the post 
hydrants. The trouble, June 25th, arose 
principally from the fact that very few visiting 
fire companies carried chucks and our supply 
was very limited. 



34 THE SALEM FIRE 

In regard to the first claim for the Lowry 
hydrant, it seems to be well founded, as this 
type of hydrant rarely freezes until the frost 
reaches over three feet in the ground. Dur- 
ing extremely cold weather the water depart- 
ment take excellent care of them. In regard 
to the latter claim it should have very little 
weight with us. With the hydrants as near 
together as they are in our city, we are not 
obliged to put so much on one hydrant, and 
with our small pipes and so few hydrants on 
the 12 inch mains, two streams are about all 
one hydrant will feed properly. 

Our water supply is deficient for fire fight- 
ing. We know it and have known it for 
years. What are we going to do about it? 



CHAPTER VI 

The Conflagration 

FOLLOWING a long dry spell, at 
1.37 P. M. on June 25th, 19 14, box 
48, in the leather district, was pulled 
for a fire in the Korn leather factory, 
numbering 57 Boston street, followed at 1.41 
P. M. by a general alarm from the same box. 
At the start there were a series of explo- 
sions. Subsequent investigation seems to show 
that these were caused by a mixture of ace- 
tone, amalacitate and alcohol, also that large 
quantities of celluloid were stored here. 

A high state official is quoted in two pa- 
pers, dated July 10 and 11 as saying at the 
Chief's Club in Boston, July 9th: "In the 
Korn factory they were manufacturing what 
is known as the tip finish for patent leather, 
a compound of inflammable materials. The 
fire started in a shed which opened by a wood- 
en door into a room on the street floor. Two 

35 



36 THE SALEM FIRE 

boards of the door were missing. The shed 
was filled with a quantity of cheap sheep 
skins, and there were three parts of barrels 
filled with the highly inflammable substance I 
have mentioned. How the flames originated 
I do not know, but I do know that once the 
fire started it spread to the barrels and the 
sheep skins, and swept up the open elevator 
well to the third floor, where there was more 
of the inflammable compound and a saturated 
floor. 

''If this factory had been equipped with i 
sprinkler system, the building might have 
been saved and the conflagration averted. 
There was nothing in this building which wa- 
ter would not have extinguished J' 

Who gave them permission to store inflam- 
mable compounds there? How long since wa- 
ter has been able to extinguish "part filled 
barrels of highly inflammable compounds?" 
When did water last extinguish blazing cel- 
luloid? The writer has for years claimed 
that all cities of our size should have a syste- 
matic inspection of buildings in the mercantile 
and manufacturing districts, by Hre depart- 
ment officials, with card records of the same. 



THE CONFLAGRATION 37 

If this inspection system had been in vogue, 
would we have had the conflagration ? Let us 
not pass this subject over Hghtly, but let us do 
about $15,000,000.00 worth of thinking. 

Reuben Salkovitch was on the first floor of 
the factory Thursday afternoon when he dis- 
covered the fire. He said the flames burst 
through the door of the shed, where the ex- 
plosive mixture was stored, and spread 
through the building so rapidly he had to run 
for his life. His clothing and face were 
scorched. It was suggested that possibly a 
quantity of celluloid was ignited by the sun's 
rays coming through the panes of glass, as 
bags of celluloid were kept here. 

The men and women employed here were 
thrown into a panic and it was at first re- 
ported that a number of lives were lost. 
Charles Lee jumped from the third story win- 
dow, after being burned about the hands, 
broke the bones in both feet and was re- 
moved to the hospital. 

The Quinn block on the east caught Imme- 
diately and the Creedon factories on the west, 
the fire crossing Proctor street, caught the 
Cunney factory and burned half of the brick 



38 THE SALEM FIRE 

block formerly occupied by the Sheridan Club. 
The flames swept down Boston street, cross- 
ing the street to the Keefe factory and Mrs. 
Mark Smith's property at the corner of Fed- 
eral and Boston streets. 

Soon the Carr Bros., Marrs Bros., Dane 
Machine Co., Way Leather Co., were going, 
and now everything in lower Boston was 
doomed. In the meantime help had been 
summoned from Peabody, Beverly, Marble- 
head, Lynn and Swampscott, and they were 
at work in remarkably short time. The com- 
bined efforts of these departments were una- 
vailing and it was left with the police de- 
partment to summon other cities and towns, 
also to send the military call. Fire alarm 
boxes were being pulled everywhere in the 
path of the flames and the alarms sent out 
have been tabulated under the section of the 
police department work. 



CHAPTER VII 

Sweeping All Before It 

FOWLER STREET to the school, 
and nearly to the corner of North 
Pine was swept, five houses here 
were dynamited. On Essex street 
two houses were dynamited and everything 
above North and South Pine went except Car- 
ter's house which was more or less damaged. 
Highland avenue to the High School went, 
the bridge being destroyed, but the fire did 
not pass it. Lower Warren street escaped. 
The wind took embers to Leach street and 
six houses here were destroyed, over a mile 
from the fire. 

Between 3 and 5 P. M. Upper Broad, 
Phelps, Hathorne, Orne square, WInthrop, 
Endicott, Downing, Margin, Prescott and 
Cedar streets caught fire. After 6 P. M. the 
top story of Wilkinson's factory. Straw's fac- 

39 



40 THE SALEM FIRE 

tory, part of the Lefavor factory, Devlin's, 
all of Fairfield street, except C. A. Chandler's 
house, part of Gardner, Cabot, Hancock and 
Roslyn streets, Canal street, the Saltonstal 
School, Brennan and Fitch's barn, all Hazel 
street almost to Laurel were burning. 

Everything on Lafayette street through 
Wm. Perry's house, was destroyed, but leav- 
ing McMorrill's house on the corner of La- 
fayette and Holly. Lafayette street from 
Porter was burning up, some of the best 
homes in the city being destroyed. The 
twenty-five sisters removed one hundred chil- 
dren and aged women from the Orphan Asy- 
lum, just before it burned, to St. Mary's in 
Walnut street, and when this was threatened, 
to St. John's in Danvers. 

At 6.45 P. M. the last house on Summer 
street next the cemetery was burned, the cem- 
etery and the brick school administration 
building being of great aid to the firemen. Mt. 
Vernon and High street were on fire at dusk. 
Other buildings dynamited were, first house 
in Mt. Vernon street, the first three houses 
on the right side of Roslyn street from La- 



SWEEPING ALL BEFORE IT 41 

fayette, S. Fred Smith's house and the Haw- 
thorne block. 

The fire burned down from Ropes street, 
taking the engine house, St. Joseph's Church, 
parochial school, Goodell's Garage, Zina 
Goodell's, Paul Patten's and others to New 
Derby street. The point caught through the 
side streets, the fire going down Lagrange 
street after 7 P. M. Police and citizens got 
the people off the point. The fire was very 
fierce in the Naumkeag Mills for over two 
hours. 

A great stand was made at the Salem 
Laundry building by the firemen. The fire 
swept north from Goodell's and Patten's to 
Fairfield's wharf and Ropes's grain store, 
where another great stop was made. Lang- 
maids, the so-called, Hamilton and Balcomb 
buildings, and the Salem Hospital's fine plant, 
except the administration building were all 
destroyed, as were the Pitman and Brown 
buildings. The park here contributed its aid 
in staying the flames on the north. Union 
bridge, Pickering's coal piles and wharves 
were on fire now, and with Lane's wharf thou- 



42 THE SALEM FIRE 

sands of tons of coal were burning. At 
Lane's wharf a three story brick building, 
with a blind wall on the east, gave the fire- 
men the opportunity desired, and the battle 
was won here, and by three o'clock the con- 
flagration was under control. The Salem 
spraying machine protected Derby wharf. 

At 9.06 P. M. box 613 sounded for a fire 
starting in Merritt's Express barn and, the 
the sorely tried firemen turned their attention 
to this new fire which seriously threatened 
North Salem and Ward 2. Over twenty 
houses were on fire here at various times, two 
barns with thirteen horses being burned and 
ten houses destroyed. Ordinarily this would 
have been spoken of for some time as our 
"big fire" had it not been overshadowed by 
the other. The conflagration burned 253 
acres, 1,376 buildings, the territory covered 
being about i ^ miles long by y^ mile wide, 
the entire loss probably being much in excess 
of $15,000,000.00, the insurance loss paid, 
$11,744,000.00, people homeless, almost 
20,000 and out of work, about 10,000. 

The Baltimore conflagration was probably 



SWEEPING ALL BEFORE IT 43 

the only one in the history of the country car- 
rying with it no loss of life. The Salem fire 
took its toll of human life. Samuel P. With- 
ey, a veteran, was burned to death in the 
house at the corner of Winthrop and Prescott. 
Joseph J. Pickering burned to death at 131 
Lafayette street. James Hosman's body 
found near the St. Joseph's rectory on Sa- 
lem street. Two French citizens are said to 
be missing. A number died from the excite- 
ment of the fire or from being moved while 
unable to stand the strain. 

Among the sixty or more injured, besides 
Charles Lee, already mentioned, v/ere Oscar 
Choinard, jumped from the second story 
window at Korn's, Mary Broderick who was 
knocked down by the Gas Company's team, 
Vincent Dowell, arm broken while acting as 
a volunteer fireman, Charles McCarthy of 
Engine 39, Boston, and Captain Remon of 
Engine 3, Salem, hit in the face by flying noz- 
zles. Captains Preble and Kelly of Lynn, 
overcome by smoke, James Hoey, Truck i, 
Salem, three broken ribs, and Frank King, 
Engine 4, Salem, arms burned. These fire- 



44 THE SALEM FIRE 

men were all able to remain at work, even 
James Hoey working quite a while with brok- 
en ribs. 



CHAPTER VIII 
Some Other Conflagrations 

AT Portland, Maine, July 4, 1866, 
a fire cracker thrown in a builder's 
shop in Commercial street, started 
a fire which burned two hundred 
acres, eighteen hundred buildings, rendered 
six thousand homeless and caused a property 
loss of $15,000,000.00. 

A cow tipped over a lamp at the corner of 
DeKoven and Twelfth streets, Chicago, Oct. 
8, 1 87 1, and twenty-one hundred and twenty- 
four acres were laid waste, seventeen thou- 
sand four hundred and fifty buildings de- 
stroyed, two hundred people lost their lives, 
and the value of the property destroyed was 
$200,000,000.00. 

At a banquet of business men soon after 
the Chicago fire. Chief Damrell of Boston, 
was asked if such a thing were possible in 
Boston. He replied that with a delayed alarm 

45 



46 THE SALEM FIRE 

and bad conditions Boston could surely have 
a conflagration. How true his prediction was 
we shall see. Nov. 9, 1872, at 7 P. M. a 
spark snapped from a furnace at the corner 
of Kingston and Summer streets. A delay 
in sending the alarm gave the fire a start and 
the Boston Fire Department, the horses all 
sick with a distemper, faced a fire which 
burned sixty-five acres, seven hundred and 
seventy-six buildings, cost thirteen lives and 
$70,000,000.00. Engine i and 2 and Hose 
5 of Salem, arrived here at midnight. 

At 10.48 A. M. on February 7, 1904, the 
automatic alarm registered for a fire in the 
basement of the Hurst building, Baltimore. A 
chemical stream was taken into the basement 
promptly, but the crew were soon driven out, 
and in seven minutes an explosion took place 
in the upper part of the building. This was 
probably a hot air explosion in the air shaft, 
but it is claimed there were one hundred doz- 
en celluloid shirt bosoms in the upper story, 
which exploded. The fire spread through the 
entire building and in fifteen minutes the sur- 
rounding buildings were on fire, and in thirty 
minutes the fire was beyond control. One hun- 










< 

< 
Z 

o 

W 

u 

w 

9 

a: 






H a. 



SOME OTHER CONFLAGRATIONS 47 

dred and forty acres were burned, twenty- 
five hundred buildings destroyed and the loss 
was over $60,000,000.00. Not a life was 
lost. Baltimore had at this time fifty com- 
panies and four hundred and sixty-three full 
paid men. Thirty-four companies came from 
other cities and over one thousand enrolled 
firemen worked. 

In San Francisco fire and earthcjuake April 
19, 1906, at 5.16 A. M., destroyed four 
square miles, twenty-eight thousand one hun- 
dred and eighty-eight buildings, und the in- 
surance loss paid was $252,000,000.00. The 
fire department was almost helpless on ac- 
count of broken mains. 

Burning rags on a dump started a fire 
April 12, 1908, at 10.45 ^- M., in Chelsea. 
Twenty-eight hundred and twenty-two build- 
ings were destroyed, four hundred and ninety- 
two acres burned, and the taxable property 
loss was $12,450,000.00. Eighteen bodies 
were found and over three hundred injured 
were treated. The worst feature of the Sa- 
lem fire was the fact that so many people lost 
their employment as well as their homes. 



CHAPTER IX 
Among the Firemen 

THE Salem firemen were hustled 
round from place to place, com- 
panies were separated as men were 
sent on errands that could only be 
done by those who knew the city from end to 
end. I shall speak of some of the places each 
company worked, but that does not signify 
that they held no other position. 

Engine I's first position was at the cor- 
ner of Federal and Boston, but on account of 
scarcity of water, moved down one hydrant in 
Federal street. Their last position was at 
Lane's Wharf where they stayed till 6 P. 
M., June 26. 

Engine 2's first position was in New 
Bridge street, where their line was also used 
near the Sheridan Club, and at the place 
where the fire started. Arthur Russell worked 
with them here for a while. Part of the crew 

48 




St. Joseph's Church Costing $250,000 

St. Joseph's Church After the Fire 

Photographs by M. E. Robb, Salem 



AMONG THE FIREMEN 49 

were sent into South Salem. Half the crew 
went to box 613 and worked in Barr street 
with Chief Chase of Lynn. Afterward they 
took a position in Derby street staying there 
until well into Friday afternoon. 

Engine 3 worked from the corner of Fed- 
eral and Boston to the corner of Broad 
and Flint, during which time they almost 
burned the engine up three times. It was in 
Broad street that the writer worked with 
them until i A. M., responding to box 16, 
after that being sent to the corner of Herbert 
and Essex streets. 

Engine 4 worked first at the front of the 
Korn factory, Robertson Court, at the cor- 
ner of Boston and Essex. Here they stayed 
so long that Arthur Russell, who worked with 
them now until 6 P. M., June 26, and Driver 
Gahagen in disconnecting the hose and re- 
moving the chuck had to have the Lynn boys 
play the hose on them. Moved from here to 
Warren and Flint. They had an important 
position at box 613 at the corner of Barr and 
Mason streets where they did a fine piece of 
work. They went from here to Lafayette 
street near the Salem Laundry. Russell says 



50 THE SALEM FIRE 

soft coal and fences will make steam just as 
good as cannel coal. 

Captain Tom Pope with Chauffeur Flynn 
and crew were everywhere, weilding the axe, 
using the chemical and laying lines of two and 
one-half inch hose. 

Hose 2 worked in Boston street, was the 
first piece to answer an alarm in South Salem, 
working at Leach street and Summit avenue, 
and in Hazel street, until lo P. M. Worked 
with Gloucester on Derby street and in Sa- 
lem Hospital from daylight until 2.30 P. M., 
June 26. 

Ladder i 

This company worked from Boston street 
to Summer, at Box 613, working on the Gif- 
ford house and others with a Boston crew, 
went from there to Derby street, and later on 
in the east side of the hospital. 

Ladder 2 

This company worked with a line of hose 
in Blubber Hollow until ordered to Leach 
street. They pulled into Cedar street to put 



AMONG THE FIREMEN 51 

out fires on roofs here and on Cherry street, 
raising ladders on a number of houses. Were 
then ordered to take off the horses and go to 
the freight to haul a Boston engine. Here 
the truck almost burned up, but was run by 
hand from here to Front street by Lieut. 
Moreland, ex-Lieut. William A. Campbell 
and others. Lieut. Moreland during the 
evening ordered the aerial raised on the Gif- 
ford house. When raising this ladder among 
the wires they received a bad shock, but used 
it effectively later. 

James Koen, with the supply wagon, 
worked steadily both delivering coal and 
lending a hand wherever needed, as did all 
the boys during these trying hours. 



CHAPTER X 

The Visiting Firemen 

TOO much cannot be said of the 
visiting firemen. Their names 
should go down into history for the 
promptness with which they an- 
swered the call and the manner in which they 
worked. I have made every effort to get 
the names, but in some cases have failed. We 
believe each one did what every man should 
do, his best. The time each company re- 
ceived the call is as near as possible correct. 

Peabody 

Chief Jesse F. Barrett was at the fire 
among the first and hustled home in an auto- 
mobile to get the kit. Call was received at 
1.45 P. M. The chief ordered Engineer 
Hutchinson, Engine i, driven by Martin 
Murphy and Hose 2, driven by J. H. Ellis, 

52 




-J z 



< < 

. O 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 53 

to Salem, also going himself, arrived in Blub- 
ber Hollow at 1.55 P. M. Laid two lines, 
one of which vvas burned up. Made two oth- 
er stands before landing at Broad street, op- 
posite Hathorne where a fine stop was made. 
Answered Box 43 at 9.52 P. M., went from 
here to the hospital. At 2.25 P. M. the sec- 
ond call was received and Engine 2, driven by 
D. J. Hannon, and Hose 4, driven by John 
J. Costello left for Salem with Engineers 
Bodge, Carberry and Costello. First stand 
was at Warren and Flint streets, also worked 
in Phelps and Broad streets, later in High and 
Mt. Vernon. They claim to be the first ones 
to arrive at Box 613, taking a position at Ma- 
son and South Mason with Hose i of Pea- 
body and Engine 6 of Boston, staying here 
until 5 A. M. They also did good work at 
corner of Central and Front. Chief Barrett 
tried to telephone for Hose i, and not being 
able to reach them, went up and got them at 
8.30 P. M., the wagon being driven by Capt. 
John Keefe. They worked over fifty men. 
Read the list of membership of the Peabody 
Fire Department, and you will see who was 
there. Returned home at 10 A. M., June 



54 THE SALEM FIRE 

26, leaving 1,150 feet of hose, two Callahan 
shut-off pipes, and an extinguisher, and hav- 
ing burned two ton of cannel coal Peabody 
turned their water Into Salem about 5 P. M., 
June 25, and pumped about 5,000,000 gal- 
lon, through a 16 inch pipe. 

Beverly 

First call received at 1.50 P. M. Engine 
4 and wagon and fifteen men arrived at the 
corner of Boston and Federal streets at 2.05 
P. M. Second call at 2.25 P. M. Chemical 
I was sent over to answer all alarms. Late 
In the afternoon Capt. Brown and Lynch 
Brothers hauled four tons of cannel coal and 
delivered it to the engines. Chief Witten- 
hagen, with Engine 4 company and Dan. 
O'Brien of Salem, made a good stop at the 
Mark Smith house on Federal street. 

At 3.30 P. M. this line was taken through 
the yards to Fowler street, where with the as- 
sistance of Ladder i of Salem, another good 
stop was made. At 6.25 P. M. they took up 
their position beyond the Lefavor factory on 
Canal street, helping to save the Hopkins fac- 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 55 

tory. They left for home at 5.30 A. M. Lost 
400 feet of 2^ Inch hose, 200 feet of chem- 
ical hose, an extinguisher, a plaster hook, and 
badly damaged their horse-drawn chemical, it 
is said. They also supplied 4 tons of cannel 
coal. Assistant Chief Wittenhagen also re- 
ceived a letter from some Federal street peo- 
ple saying some very nice things. Officers 
and men, as follows: Assistant Chief Wit- 
tenhagen, Captain W. A. Richardson, Lieu- 
tenant W. L. Colson, Engineer S. Allen, Stok- 
er, J. McConnell, Drivers F. Vickary and 
John Creesey, Hosemen, F. A. Choate, F. K. 
Goodhue, R. S. Herndon, F. S. Smith, W. G. 
Bisson, W. W. Grant, J. Grant, J. O. Barrs, 
M. F. Kent, C. G. Ward, J. P. Foster, J. C. 
Kelleher, R. Symmes, J. G. Foster. Chem- 
ical I, W. H. Woodbury, driver. Chemical- 
men, G. W. Standley and F. Wittenhagen. 

Marblehead 

American LaFrance triple combination In 
charge of Assistant Chief John Atkins, stop- 
ped at Engine i house and got a chuck, took 
her first stands in North and South Pine 



56 THE SALEM FIRE 

streets at 2.08 P. M. Here they lost their 
ladder while using their chemical. Next stand 
was in Upper Broad street in two places but 
could get no water. Moved from here to the 
foot of Summer street where they worked 
three hours; a number of houses being saved 
here. Their own steam engine was not here, 
having been sent for at 2.55 P. M. Worked 
with it in Prescott, Endicott, Mill and High, 
Norman and Mill, Front street and at Ber- 
tram square, at all of which places they 
worked in true Marblehead style, returning 
home at 5.45 A. M., June 26. Those who 
went, Assistant Chief John Atkins, Captain 
Jos. Graves, Chauffeur Pierce, Engineer 
Woodfin Bartlett, Driver Woodfin, George 
H. Reed, William Fader, Irving Lecraw, Ar- 
thur S. Adams, Thomas Whalen, Stoker John 
T. High, Fred Hinch, William Stone, Earnest 
Mason, Harold Van Blacker, Archer Dixey, 
W. Mitchell, W. Chapman, J. Chamberlain, 
J. B. Stacey, Chester Bowden, and Warren 
Stone. In an automobile were Herman Snow 
and Dan Holden. 




O 5^ 






THE VISITING FIREMEN 57 

Lynn 

Call received at 1.53 P. M. The Ahrens 
— Fox motor-pumping Engine with Chief 
Chase, Acting Assistant Chief Kelly, Capt. 
Preble of Ladder i, Capt. Philips of Engine 
2, Lieutenant Smith and Assistant Engineer 
Nichols of Engine 5, Ed. Barnlcoat and J. 
Duntley with Chauffeur Whiffen at the wheel, 
arrived at 2.08 P. M. At 2.35 P. i\L the Sea- 
grave combination was called, Chauffeur 
Blossom at the wheel. At 2.55, Ladder i was 
called and Chauffeur Johnson landed his 
crew, Leagere, Besson, Chapman, Potter, 
Holbrook, Shaw, Coffin and Belben there In 
twelve minutes. Assistant Chief Roberts and 
Jack Kellett and Engine 4 with the A. and B. 
Tractor landed at 6.33 P. M. 

The Lynn boys made their first stand at 
the corner of Boston and Essex, but were 
driven back. At the corner of North Pine 
and Essex they beat back the enemy. Some 
dynamiting was done here and In one house 
a chimney was blown from Its foundation and 
landed back again, although about a foot out 



58 THE SALEM FIRE 

of plumb. The Carter house was an extra 
good stop. Capt. Preble and his boys pound- 
ed the fire out here. The next stand was on 
High street where the houses on the western 
side were all saved and some on the eastern 
side. At 9.06 P. M. they went to Box 613, 
and battled here for over three hours. Next 
to Herbert street where some residences de- 
manded their attention until 5.30 A. M. This 
was a very important position and a good 
stop was made here. 

SWAMPSCOTT 

Chief Cahoon was called at 1.58 P. M. 
and arrived with an American LaFrance mo- 
tor-pumping engine at 2.10. At Boston and 
Essex streets it made but a short stop. Its 
longest stand was at Broad and Winthrop, 
where it pumped over nine hours. At the 
corner of Union and Derby it stayed over 
four hours and was then moved to Bertram 
Park. 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 59 

Boston 

The call was received at 2.25 P. M. by 
Chief McDonough. Truck 21 of East Bos- 
ton, motor-propelled, equipped with two 35 
gallon chemical tanks and in charge of Lieut. 
Silva was ordered to proceed over the road. 
Engine 6, Lieut. Downey and Engine 27, 
Capt. Hayes were ordered to the railroad 
yard to load. Arrived in Salem at 3.45 P. 
M. In tke meantime Commissioner Grady 
had proceeded over the road in his auto to 
assume command of the Boston companies. 
Another call was sent in at 4.40 P. M., and 
Engine 8, Lieut. Thos. Roose, Engine 26, 
Lieut. Hurley and Engine 39, Lieut. Daniel 
O'Brien were sent by train and arrived in Sa- 
lem before 6 P. M. Sixty-seven officers and 
men went with the apparatus. 

The services of Commissioner Grady were 
invaluable on account of his years of expe- 
rience and his well known ability to cope with 
any situation which may arise. Perhaps he 
was never tested harder than, when the depu- 
ty, he was acting as chief and had charge of 



bo THE SALEM FIRE 

the Albany street lumber yard fire, in the 
midst of which another "big one hit" down 
town. Needless to say he came through with 
flying colors. 

Engines 6 and 27 first located near the 
freight house but were bothered about getting 
water. About 4.50 P. M. they took a position 
at the corner of Lafayette and Holly streets, 
only to be driven by the fire when the water 
gave out. They next located near Engine 
I house. Engine 39 worked all the way from 
the Orphan Asylum fighting the hottest kind 
of a fight. In Salem street, with the houses 
blazing on both sides, a Salem fireman as- 
sisted 39's men in rescuing an old woman 
from one of the blazing houses in the second 
story. The other men had to play the stream 
on them as they came out. She was taken as 
far down as New Derby street and there 
turned over to some folks. 

Engine 39 now joined 6 and 27, and after 
being driven three times, made a successful 
stand near the Salem Laundry building. En- 
gine 6 responded to Box 613, where they did 
fine work. Commissioner Grady working with 







X 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 6i 

them here until 3 A. M., when they returned 
to their previous position. Truck 21 used 
their ladders and the chemicals wherever op- 
portunity offered. 

Engines 8 and 26 worked at the extreme 
eastern end of the fire. Water was very 
scarce here. Engineers Thomas Roach and 
Barney Valentine worked together here and 
both had the pleasure of meeting the Wood- 
man Bros. The lunch furnished was appre- 
ciated by both companies. Supervisor of En- 
gines Byington, accompanied the men. They 
returned home at 7 A. M., June 26. 

Chelsea 

Call received at 2.55 P. M. Arrived at 
Salem at 3.35 with the Robinson motor-pump- 
ing engine No. 2. Auto combination called 
at 6.40 P.M. Arrived at 7.20 P. M. These 
two pieces worked in Lafayette street and at 
the Salem Hospital. The former was in 
charge of Capt. James Harris, and Myron 
Beane, Edward Calley, Fred Armstrong, 
Dennis Sullivan, John Geyer and Stewart 



62 THE SALEM FIRE 

Sloan worked with him. The latter piece was 
in charge of Lieut. Curry, O. P. Francis, Ar- 
thur Tompkinson and Wm. Gormly accom- 
panied him. Returned home at 7.10 A. M., 
June 26. Lack of water prevented them from 
doing their best work. Chelsea lost one line 
of hose. 

Wakefield 

Call received at 3.08 P. M. Left at 3.10 
with Webb triple-combination motor-pumping 
engine, Chief Cade, in charge of eighteen 
men, arriving in twenty-four minutes. Perley 
Trask of Salem, took them to a position, as 
also a number of other pieces of kit. They 
worked at the corner of Leach and Lafayette 
after leaving the foot of Leach street. As 
with many other companies, shortage of wa- 
ter and inability to get a chuck, proved a great 
handicap to them. The auto returned home 
at 12.30 A. M., but the men stayed and as- 
sisted other companies. 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 63 

Danvers 

Call received at 3.15 P. M. Arrived at 
3.23 with Knox combination, Chief Barry, 
Assistant Chiefs Batty and Dennett, Chauf- 
feur Jones and eight others. Second call at 
4 P. M. Electric light auto made a number 
of trips with men, acids and rubber coats, 
about fifty men in all responding. Took up 
position on Cedar near Cherry, using chem- 
icals. Moved on to Lafayette near Cedar, 
connecting on to Engine 27 of Boston, with 
whom they stayed throughout the fire. 

On moving from here they made three 
stops before reaching the laundry. Worked 
on the cemetery side of Ropes's grain store. 
Danvers' water was turned into Salem at 
about 3.30 P. M. Danvers' gage dropped 
from 84 to 68. Salem gage jumped from 21 
to 68. At the corner of New Derby, Engi- 
neer Dennett burned 42 holes in his rubber 
coat. Returned home at 4.30 A. M., June 
26. 



64 THE SALEM FIRE 

Reading 

Received call at 4 P. M. Left at 4.09. 
Run 12 miles and arrived at the corner of 
Boston and Essex at 4.28. Went to the cor- 
ner of Summit avenue and Leach for about 
an hour. Unable for some time to get a 
chuck. After getting it could not get water, 
pressure being very low. Went from here to 
a "mud hole" on Canal street. Had to keep 
a man in the hole all the time to keep the suc- 
tion clear. This was the only piece of fire 
kit here at the time, and they put up a hard 
fight for two hours. Moved to the Lefavor 
tactory on Canal street. Worked here about 
three hours, lifting water from, the canal, hav- 
ing for a while to make a dam in order to get 
water. 

At midnight got word to come to the hos- 
pital. To reach here they had to go up over 
Castle Hill and back through Jefferson ave- 
nue and Essex street. They took a position 
on Liberty street and with the aid of a crev/ 
from Chelsea, who had a line attached to one 
side of the Reading engine, the administra- 
tion building of the hospital was saved. This 




§ If 

O 

o 



-Si 

t 

o 
o 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 65 

machine is a Knox triple combination, and 
was away from quarters fifteen hours, 
pumped 10^ hours, travelled 42 miles, used 
4,000 feet of hose and 42 gallons of chem- 
ical. Left for home at 6 A. M. and arrived 
home at 7 A. M., June 26. 

Chief Ordway was in charge of the ap- 
paratus and the following men : Capt. Owen 
McKenney, Lieut. Geo. McClintock, Chauf- 
feurs Shannon and Eames, Hosemen W. H. 
Van Horn, Louis Holden, T. J. Cullinane, 
James Maxwell, George Baxter, Wm. 
O'Brien, W. R. Zwickler and Capt. E. H. 
Crowe of Truck i. 

Stoneham 

Call received at 4.10 P. M. The run was 
made in 26 minutes by the Seagrave combina- 
tion, with 1,300 feet of hose and ten men in 
charge of Chief A. J. Smith. They were in 
service twelve hours and when returning 
home, left one hundred and fifty feet of hose, 
two fire axes, two pipes and ladder hook. 



66 THE SALEM FIRE 

Fore River Shipbuilding Works, Quincy 

No call was sent to Quincy. This large 
motor-pumping engine was in Stoneham, re- 
turning from Manchester, N.H., where it had 
gone on a test and ended by working at a big 
fire. Learning of the fire in Salem, they 
asked the Stoneham people to show them the 
way down. They located in Holly street and 
worked with five lines, from 650 to 1,800 
feet in length, the Stoneham crew having one 
of them. They were bothered by not being 
able to get water enough. 

Newburyport 

Chief Osborne received the call at 3.30 P. 
M., and was loaded and left for Salem at 
4.15. Arrived at 4.45. As there was no one 
to direct them, they took up their position at 
Cabot and Hancock streets, also worked as 
far as Gardner street, saving a number of 
houses, their work being much appreciated by 
the residents in this vicinity. Their horses 
also hauled five other pieces of apparatus. 
The apparatus taken was Engine 2 and wag- 




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"3 
CO 

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THE VISITING FIREMEN 67 

on. Chief Osborne carried with him the fol- 
lowing men: Captain Moses E. Wright, 
Lieut. John H. Packer, George W. Parkcx-, 
Frank W. Landford, Charles S. Blake, Ever- 
ett F. Landford, Thomas E. Colman, Geo. 
W. Ross, Edward H. Lang, George E. Dix- 
on, John J. Welch, Frank Coffey, David Ca- 
sey, Drivers John Coffey and Dennis Lucy of 
Engine 2. Samuel Chase and Daniel Kel- 
leher of Engine i and Mayor Hiram H. 
Landford. Left for home at 8 A. M., June 
26. 

Revere 

Call was received by Chief Kimball at 4.24 
P. M., and motor combination A was sent, 
arriving at 4.50. It was in service over sev- 
en hours, its line being attached to the Fore 
River pump. 

Lawrence 

In response to a call for help. Chief Carey 
left Lawrence for Salem at 4.40 P. M, in 
his machine and was on the ground at 5.40 



bS THE SALEM FIRE 

P. M., held a consultation in Lafayette 
square with Mayor Hurley, and in conse- 
quence telephoned to Lawrence for Engine 
2 and Hose 5, which is equipped with a large 
deck-gun. 

About 6.30 P. M. the firemen began to ar- 
rive in automobiles and at once took up their 
position on Broad street, manning the hose 
lines of Engine 2 of Salem, they being without 
their apparatus at the time. After a hard fight 
of three hours the fire was prevented from 
spreading to the north, by the combined ef- 
forts of Lynn and Lawrence firemen. At this 
time the second conflagration broke out in 
North Salem, and the apparatus from Law- 
rence had just reported to Chief Carey at 
Broad and Flint streets. 

It now being safe to leave the Broad 
street position, Chief Carey decided to go 
to the North Salem fire, and took with him 
Engine 2 and Hose 5 of Lawrence, and En- 
gine 2 of Salem. He proceeded to North 
Salem and took up his position on Buffum 
street, setting the large wagon-gun of Hose 
5 directly in the path of the flames, also set- 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 69 

ting Engine 2 of Salem In the same vicinity. 
This engine was, at this time with the excep- 
tion of the engineer and stoker manned by 
Lawrence firemen, it having been turned over 
to them in Broad street by an assistant chief 
of the Salem Department. After a battle of 
about two hours the fire was placed under 
control here. 

About this time Chief Carey received a re- 
quest to go to Derby street with the men 
and apparatus in his command and they pick- 
ed up and proceeded through Essex to Derby 
street as soon as possible, arriving in front 
of the fire here at about 12.45 A- M- The 
chief set his large wagon-gun at the corner 
of Derby and Curtis streets, and with two 
engines playing into the gun, after two 
hours and a half work the fire was under con- 
trol. They made up about four A. M. and 
under orders of an assistant engineer of Sa- 
lem, proceeded to the Central Fire Station 
to cover in, which they did until relieved at 
6.30 A. M., June 26. They left Salem for 
Eawrence by special train at 7.30 A. M. 

The officers and men under the command 



70 THE SALEM FIRE 

of Chief Engineer Dennis E. Carey, were 
as follows: Captain George H. Remick, 
Lieut. Fred M. Gibson, W. A. O'Reilly, 
John J. Hopkins, William A. Dwyer, Thom- 
as T. Brideaux, John McLeod, William Cot- 
ter, Joseph Evans, Robert Graham, Alfred 
Cowperthwaite, Edward F. Flynn, Joseph 
Ford, Robert Henderson, George Bates, An- 
drew Campbell, John Quinn, Dennis F. Dur- 
gin, Charles Sawyer, James Bannon, Thom- 
as Hughes, Richard Lamb, George Otis, 
Fred Wallace, Joseph Baggett, Edward L 
Dooley, Thomas B. Hogan, Alfred L. Ken- 
nedy, Thomas J. Sessnan, Daniel C. Fitzpat- 
rick, Earnest Hoehn, Carl Woekel, Thomas 
Doyle, James Green, Walter Smith, John J. 
Drummond, Robert Telter, Daniel J. 
DeCourcey, William R. Sawyer, Thomas 
Craven, Parker Dempsey, Thomas Hollows. 
Chief Carey received a very complimentary 
letter in regard to the work of himself and 
the men under him, which letter was pub- 
lished in the Salem News at the time. 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 71 

Malden 

Call received by Chief Butler at 4.55 P. 
M., who at once ordered Combination A, a 
Knox auto, in use four years, to proceed to 
Salem over the road. Engine i, a horse- 
drawn engine owned by the city 25 years, 
was sent by rail. Combination A made Lynn 
in twelve minutes, but were delayed here 
three minutes by a blow-out. At times they 
run fifty miles an hour. Engine i arrived at 
6.35. In charge of Chief Butler were the 
following officers and men: Captain Pow- 
ell, Chauffeur Brooks, Engineer Fred Pal- 
mer, Asst. Engineer George Blakely, Fire- 
men, Moran, Keddie, Shandley, Buckley and 
Kirby. Among other places these men 
worked with Engine 8 of Boston, near the 
freight house, with Engine 6 of Boston on 
Buffum street and about two A. M. laid hose 
at the coal piles on Derby street and took part 
in the stop on Herbert street. They arrived 
home at 8.45 A. M., June 26., losing 650 
feet of hose and a Callahan shut-off pipe. 
They were greatly bothered by the lack of a 
chuck. 



n THE SALEM FIRE 

Gloucester 

Gloucester loaded a second class Amos- 
keag, No. i, and Hose i with 1,450 feet of 
hose and left at 5.05 P. M. for Salem, arriv- 
ing at 5.30. Also took four horses. Changed 
positions seven times, working on Lafayette 
street, Canal street and near Derby Wharf. 
Lost 550 feet of hose. Arrived home at 7 
A. M., June 26. Engineer A. P. Gorman 
had charge of these men. Captain Hearn, 
Lieut. Ed. Soames, A. W. Bulkley, Homer 
Marchant, Sam Clark, Russell Sargent, J. 
Lufkin, Walter Collins, Ben. Harvey, Henry 
Hilton, Howard Poland, D. F. Smith, Ray 
Friend, Lester Poland, Tom O'Maley, Wil- 
liam Lowe, Charles Lowe, Tony Courant, J. 
Nichols and John McAuley. 

Manchester, Mass. 

Call received at 5.07 P. M. Chief Hoare 
detailed Asst. Chief Thomas Baker to take 
charge. The automobile left at 5.10 and 
arrived at the corner of Bridge and Wash- 
ington at 5.26. The equipment of this auto 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 73 

was 1,200 feet of hose, one forty gallon and 
two three gallon extinguishers. The engine 
left in the tow of the Paine furniture auto, 
and arrived on Canal street at 6.35. They 
started to work at about a block above the 
church on Lafayette street using chemicals. 
Were directed by the mayor to go to the cor- 
ner of Canal and Ropes streets. They sent 
a messenger to direct the engine to the new 
position, and the engine arrived just as they 
had the hose laid. 

They found the water pressure very low 
at first, but it improved later on and they 
worked two streams from their own engine 
and one from the Maiden Engine. They 
worked all night on Canal street, from Ropes 
to Hancock streets, saving three apartment 
houses apparently doomed. Started break- 
ing their line at 6 and arrived home at 8.35 
A. M. Lost one pony extinguisher. In 
charge of Acting Chief Thomas Baker were 
the following men : Captain Ellery L. Rog- 
ers, William H. Allen, C. D. Cook, E. P. 
Flynn, F. L. Floyd, A. E. Hersey, J. A. 
Kehoe, M. S. Miguel, J. P. Read, J. E. 
Riggs, E. A. Smothers, R. G. Stanley, H. C. 



74 THE SALEM FIRE 

Sweet, L. O. Lations, C. C. Dodge, B. S. 
Stanley, H. M. Stanley, S. O. Mason, R. W. 
Lane, W. Kelliher, Charles Chadwick and 
volunteers from Manchester, F. L. Smith, 
S. R. Stanley, Albert Smith and Wm. Mc 
Dairmid. 

Medford 

Chief Bacon received a call at 5.10 P. M., 
and ordered Capt. W. R. Ordwav of Com- 
bination E to take charge of Combination D, 
a Knox machine, and proceed to Salem, which 
he did at 5.15. The run was made through 
Cliftondale to Floating Bridge, where they 
turned into Eastern avenue, on account ot 
road repairs, and came into Salem through 
Loring avenue, arriving at 5.45 P.M. Among 
others responding from Medford, were 
Lieut. John Qualey, Lieut. Harvey, Chauf- 
feur Judson Hanson, Firemen, Foye, Splaine 
and Brewster. Fire Commissioner Percy 
Richardson met them in Salem. They were 
bothered by the lack of a chuck, but went to 
work on the Fore River engine, manning one 







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THE VISITING FIREMEN 75 

line. Did fine work here but water went 
completely back on them at 9 P. M. They 
did good work with the chemical, among oth- 
er stunts saving the Derby house on Linden 
street and stopping the spread of the fire in 
this direction. Lieut. Governor Barry com- 
plimented the Medford boys on their work. 

HiNGHAM 

Captain Albert M. Kimball of Engine 2, 
hearing of the fire, got his company together 
and they arrived late in the afternoon in two 
automobiles. As the fire rushed unchecked 
down Eden street it seemed as if Messervey 
street would go. Taking advantage of their 
experience gained at similar fires in their out- 
lying districts where no water is available for 
the engines, they gathered all the rugs and 
clothing they could find and taking them to 
the salt water, wet them, and then lay them 
on the roof and over the sides of the houses, 
where an occasional bucket of salt water 
would keep them wet. Meeting with suc- 
cess at No. 9 Messervey, we soon had plenty 



76 THE SALEM FIRE 

of help, and further down the street had 
blankets spread and lots of help from a buck- 
et brigade In wetting down the blankets, as 
they began to smoke our boys took their posi- 
tions on the roofs and the crowd kept the 
water coming. The owners said many pleas- 
ant things that night. 

On the north side, about 11.30 P. M., 
these boys relieved a crowd of volunteers 
handling a line on Union street. The volun- 
teers were having quite a time handling it, 
losing ground all the time through improper 
handling. Captain Kimball and his boys 
manned this line till daylight, making the 
stop on the James Coffey house on one side 
and the Roache house on the other. Mr. 
Coffey was much pleased and has since en- 
tertained the boys. 

SOMERVILLE 

Chief Rich went to Salem in person, and on 
his arrival there telephoned for an engine 
and wagon. An engine driven by a Christie 
tractor and an American LaFrance comblna- 




Lafayette Street Before and After the Fire 
Photographs by M. E. Robb, Salem 



THE VISITING FIREMEN 77 

tlon wagon arrived at 7.30 P. M. They 
worked about four hours till the water supply 
gave out. 

Winchester 

A Knox combination wagon and an en- 
gine drawn by a mercantile motor, both in 
charge of Chief DeCourcy arrived at 8 P. 
M. They worked in South Salem near the 
Orphan Asylum. Lack of water, fuel and a 
chuck handicapped them, but the chemical 
saved several houses. Arrived home at 8 A. 
M., June 26. 

Firemen from Ipswich, Wenhan and from 
various other places came into town and went 
to work, and their unostentatious services 
should be appreciated and we know they are. 
In response to a call for men to relieve those 
who had worked from the start, Deputy Ca- 
sey of Cambridge, left at 8.20 A. M., June 
26, with motor-combination 5 and a picked 
crew of twenty men. Arriving at about 9 A. 
M. This crew went to the coal pile, after- 
ward loading two Salem wagons with dry 
hose and relieved Engine 4 at Ropes's grain 



78 THE SALEM FIRE 

store. Among those who made the trip were 
Deputy Casey, Capt. McSorley of Engine 5, 
Capt. Dardis of Engine 2, Capt. McCabe of 
Chemical i, and Lieut. Newman of Engine 
3, the three latter giving up their day off to 
go. Engineer Wm. Riley run the engine. 
They left for home at 5 P. M., June 26. 

They came and helped us in our need, 
Their names we never will forget. 
For in these days of rush and greed 
The helpful spirit liveth yet. 



CHAPTER XI 

The Fight at the Mills 

r^U ^ HE fight at the mills will go down 

■ into history as the gamest fight 

■ ever put up by a private fire de- 
-** partment to save their plant, with 

absolutely no outside help. The first call 
came at 3 P. M. for a fire on the roof of the 
stable. This w^as extinguished. At 3.30 P. 
M. the mills were closed and Chief Engineer 
Frank Cook of the mill fire department, ral- 
lied his men. Four men were placed on each 
roof. At about 5 P. M. a line was laid on 
East Gardner street. In this line, attached 
to the hydrant by the store houst^ was one 
hundred and fifty feet of hose. Water was 
directed onto the roofs of wooden store 
houses, containing over $1,000,000.00 worth 
of raw cotton. They also wet the roofs of the 
two cottages at the foot of the street and 
three-deckers. 

79 



8o THE SALEM FIRE 

There was now one line back of and play- 
ing on the roof of No. 6 weave shed, and 
another line in the yard between the store 
houses. The fire now got into the houses at 
the foot of the street, and the men were driv- 
en back by the heat and took their stand at 
No. 6. The salt water curtain was now 
turned on, completely enclosing the building. 

Mr. French, engineer of the Massachu- 
setts Mutual Fire Insurance Company, with 
an associate engineer now took charge. Men 
were now divided into squads of from three 
to five each. The men in back of No. 6 now 
pulled the hose onto the roof and were wet- 
ting the three-deckers across the street. From 
the street the other men were playing between 
the houses fighting the fire in back. The 
cotton sheds were burning and No. 6 had 
started, the water in the curtain being boiling 
hot. 

No. I mill bell now rung, showing that they 
were on fire. The men called up from the 
point saw that the coping of the towers were 
burning. The pressure on the hose was fine, 
streams reaching the top of No. i, five stor- 
ies up. It could now be seen that No. i 




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THE FIGHT AT THE MILLS 8i 

was doomed and a stand was taken between 
No. 4 and the office, another squad between 
No. 5 and the office, also fighting the fires 
across the streets. Ward, Peabody, Harbor 
and the point, all belching their flames upon 
the mills. 

At about I0.20 P. M. No. i floors and 
roof fell. The heat was tremendous, and 
now all the mills were on fire. The bridges 
between the buildings were burning. Union 
Bridge and the wharf behind No. 5 Mill. 
Chief Cook now ordered a retreat. Two mill 
firemen, Howard Arey and the two insurance 
engineers, wet their garments, covered their 
heads and running between mills No. i and 
2 made for the water front where a boat was 
waiting. Chief Cook forced his men across 
Union Bridge and when he found all were 
safe he went himself. When he crossed the 
bridge the Pickering buildings were all burn- 
ing. Going to Derby Wharf he found that 
all who had gone to the boat were safe. 

During the fire the pressure on the boilers 
was better than 120 lbs. When the firemen 
left the boiler room the pressure in the bat- 
tery of boilers ranged over 100 lb., the fire 



82 THE SALEM FIRE 

pumps were working, the electric generator 
running and the water injector on to assure 
safety. These boilers after the fire remained 
in sound condition. The vaults in the office 
were absolutely fire proof. The round cot- 
ton store house near the water, with brick 
walls, a wooden roof and asbestos shingles 
remained intact. 

But it is of the cement storehouse we wish 
to speak especially. The wooden strip under 
the coping is burned up clean, the only wood 
in the building, except in the doors and shut- 
ters which are tin-covered. This building 
stood in the midst of an inferno of flames, so 
hot that all the wired glass windows cracked, 
the fusible links on the window shutters, all 
let go, closing the windows against the heat, 
the remarkable test being one window on the 
west side the wire glass in which rolled up, 
showing 2,500 degrees of heat, yet the shut- 
ter did its work so well that a sprinkler head 
three feet in from the window, set to open 
at 155 degrees, remained closed. 

The No. 6 weave shed was a steel 
frame, brick walled building of fine construc- 
tion, some wire-glass, sprinkled, with private 




Q5 ■<: 






Z ^ 






THE FIGHT AT THE MILLS 83 

stand-pipes throughout and a water-curtain 
already mentioned. The saw-tooth roof gave 
excellent light. This building was filled 
with the very latest Draper machinery. The 
oil works on the north, their older wooden 
store-houses on the south and the blazing 
three-deckers on the west, whose sides blew 
out on the roof of No. 6, gave this building 
no chance. 



CHAPTER XII 

Modern Buildings 

THE first of our better manufactur- 
ing plants to burn was the Carr 
Leather Co. After their other fire, 
which burned up the building 
clean, they erected a building nearly ideal. It 
was of mill-construction and was rated as one 
of the best of its type. It had every modern 
convenience for the placing of their product 
upon the market in the finest possible condi- 
tion. It was sprinkled but was m such a 
nest of "quick burners" that it had absolutely 
no chance. The bottom was burned out of 
the water tank and the building was com- 
pletely destroyed. 

The next factory of the better type in the 
path of the flames was the Wilkinson build- 
ing in which they had been about one month. 
Their two storehouses were burned and the 
building they had recently moved from. This 

84 



MODERN BUILDINGS 85 

building was of mill-construction type of the 
best kind, sprinkled and with the proper 
quota of fire extinguishers, also covered with 
non-combustible shingles. It caught in the 
corner under the coping. The water pressure 
here was very poor and the fire companies 
trying to work here could do very little. En- 
gine 6 of Boston rendered such aid as was 
possible, and with the sprinklers running 
constantly, all they lost was the top floor and 
business was being conducted in the two low- 
er stories on July 14th. 

The Lefavor factory on Canal street, 
though not of the latest type, was well 
sprinkled and a fire wall about a third of the 
way in from the north side, backed up by 
the fine work of firemen stationed here, saved 
the other two-thirds of the building and work 
was resumed in that portion a few days after. 

The electric light station of the Tenney 
System, located on Peabody street, stood the 
test. There was a large open space on three 
sides which helped materially. There is no 
wood in this building it being constructed of 
brick, cement, steel frame and wire-glass 
windows set in metal frames. F. C. Sar- 



86 THE SALEM FIRE 

gent engineering manager is very proud of 
it as he has good reason to be. Two men 
stayed inside it during the entire fire. No 
water was used. 

The Salem Laundry building on the north 
is of hollow block concrete and formed an 
effectual barrier to the flames in this direc- 
tion. 



CHAPTER XIII 
The Militia 

THE military call was sent out at 
2.31 P. M., June 25. Adj.-Gen. 
eral Chas. H. Cole on his way from 
service at Camp Newbury, saw the 
reflection and was at the armory forty-five 
minutes after the alarm came in. Sergeant 
Clay was at the armory and assisted the men 
as they came in. Musician Harwood was 
the first man to arrive and took the alarm 
card to the telephone exchange immediately, 
and the men were called. The list was di- 
vided up among a number of operators, and 
in less than forty-five minutes all were noti- 
fied who could be reached. 

Sergeant C. D. Brown of the hospital 
corps detachment of the Second Corps of Ca- 
dets and his squad of five men were the first 
militiamen to arrive at the fire. Richard Ea- 
gan took these boys up to Boston street in his 

87 



88 THE SALEM FIRE 

auto and made several trips between the ar- 
mory and the fire. Lieut. Rushford, surgeon 
of the Second Corps of Cadets, arrived at 5 
P. M. from West Newbury and took charge 
of the "first aid" work, establishing four 
dressing stations which were shifted, follow- 
ing the course of the fire. Dr. Rushford's 
automobile in charge of Private Carl Brewer, 
traveled over eight hundred miles during the 
tour of duty. 

Captain Ingoldsby, Lieuts, Readon and 
Needham arrived in Salem at 3 P. M. from 
the officers' school at West Newbury. Cor- 
poral Dawson traveled farthest of any, com- 
ing six hundred miles from western Penn- 
sylvania in seventeen hours, being notified by 
Captain E. R. Redmond of Co. C, Second 
Corps of Cadets. 

The whole number of militia on duty was 
seventeen hundred. Col. Frank A. Graves 
and twelve companies of the Eighth Massa- 
chusetts, four companies of the Second Corps 
of Cadets, commanded by Lieut.-Col. Charles 
F. Ropes, seven companies of the Ninth Mas- 
sachusetts, commanded by Major William 
J. Casey, Co. C, Coast Artillery from Chel- 



THE MILITIA 89 

sea, Co. E, Naval Brigade from Lynn, one 
company of the Second Regiment, a detail 
from the First Corps of Cadets, a detail from 
the hospital corps and a detail from the sig- 
nal corps. A relief hospital was established 
at the armory on Friday by Captain I. C. 
Cutler, Surgeon of the Eighth Regiment. 

General orders number one had to do with 
the placing of the city under semi-martial 
law. The following general order was is- 
sued. Districts are hereby established as fol- 
lows: 

District No. i. All territory lying south 
and west of Broad street and south of Front 
street, District Commander, Major William 
H. Perry, Eighth Infantry, Companies D, G, 
H and 1. 

District No. 2. All territory lying on Flint 
and south through Broad and south to Bos- 
ton streets and tracks (main line) District 
Commander, Major H. B. Campbell, Com- 
panies F, K, L, M. 

District No. 3. All territory lying east of 
the Boston and Maine tracks, north of Dodge 
street, water front, including Concentration 
Camp on the Common, District Commander, 



90 THE SALEM FIRE 

Major L. W. Jenkins, Second Corps Cadets, 
Troop 4. 

District 4. All territory east of Boston 
and Maine tracks and south of Dodge street, 
to water front. District Commander, Major 
F. S. Elliott, Eighth Infantry, Companies A, 
B and E. 

Second Company C, Eighth Infantry and 
Company E, Naval Brigade, will be held in 
reserve at the armory. 

All civilians will be required to keep mov- 
ing through the district and no one will be 
allowed to enter the ruins. Persons resisting 
or obstructing the troops in the discharge of 
their duty will be arrested and sent under 
guard to the armory. 

District Commanders will assume com- 
mand of their districts at 6 A. M., this date, 
and all present disposition of troops will be 
recalled as soon as the situation permits. 
Col. Graves, 
Julian A. Chamberlain, 

Capt. and Adjt. 

General orders No. 2 dealt with the "one 
way street" arrangements and specified ve- 




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THE MILITIA 91 

hides having "right of way." The work of 
the militia in handling traffic deserves special 
commendation. Orders were given to shoot 
all looters on sight. Lieut. E. A. Rushford 
of the medical corps, Second Corps of Ca- 
dets, saw three men go into a burning house 
on Park street. He challenged them, but 
they paid no attention to him. Lieut. Rush- 
ford had slipped an empty revolver into his 
pocket on leaving his house, and upon show- 
ing this the men made their escape over the 
fence into Prince street. 

The food at the armory was looked after 
by the commissary department and was in 
charge of General James H. White, Cap- 
tain John F. Osborn, Lieut. William H. 
Gowell, Second Corps of Cadets and Lieut. 
Eugene Clapp, First Corps of Cadets. Twen- 
ty-five hundred people were given food Fri- 
day P. M., and hot coffee and lunch were to 
be had in the bread line. At the lire on Sat- 
urday night, which was really a panic, Co. K, 
Eighth Infantry, from Somerville, did great 
work, and during the dynamiting the militia 
was invaluable. 

The following figures will show the mag- 



92 THE SALEM FIRE 

nitude of the task confronting the commis- 
sary department. Number of rations issued 
June 28, 6,045, June 29, 6,038, June 30, 
6,065. June 30, at 7.30 P. M., the food 
supply was turned over to the general com- 
mittee in charge of Col. Spencer. The cost 
of feeding the refugees was about S2,200 per 
day. 

The militia was relieved at 8 P. M., July 
7, after twelve days' duty, which cost the 
state $50,000.00. Take it right through, 
they were a credit to the state. 



CHAPTER XIV 
Saved 

A WOMAN saved whar she could 
and took it to her husband's place 
of business. When that place was 
threatened, she had the safe 
opened and put in what she most desired to 
save. The place was not burned and the next 
day upon opening the safe they found the 
family Bible, a pair of silk stockings and her 
house slippers. 

A woman gave her husband two hat boxes 
to take to a safe place, in one was his two 
best suits of clothes, in the other two fine 
Angora kittens. Down in the crush near the 
dock he made up his mind to carry the kit- 
tens no further. Overboard went one of the 
hat boxes. When he arrived where he was 
to leave the hat boxes he found he had thrown 
overboard his two suits and carried the kit- 
tens safely to the house. 

93 



94 THE SALEM FIRE 

A man whose home burned went to 
a friend's after midnight to sleep. Tired 
out, he threw himself down on a mattress on 
the floor and slept till morning. When he 
got up he picked up the only bundle he had 
brought away and said, "Well, I saved some- 
thing anyway." Opening it he took out an 
old worn out pair of shoes and two suits of 
old under clothes he had done up to throw 
away. 

An Italian rushed Into his blazing home on 
Endicott street determined to save some- 
ihing, although It was dangerous at the time 
to go In. A few seconds later he came out 
bringing a water melon. 

A Salem fireman seeing a woman go Into 
her house after It started to burn, evidently 
to get a few of her most valuable belongings, 
made up his mind he would go in soon and 
get her If she did not come out. He had 
about made up his mind to go In and get her, 
when she came out, looking quite satisfied. 
Under her arm she had a pillow and In her 
other hand a gallon oil can. 

A former city father arrived at his home 
just as it was burning. Taking from the wall 



SAVED AND LOST 95 

the pictures of his father and mother, he 
started for the door. Thinking he heard the 
cat cry he went up stairs to look for it. When 
he came down he had to leave the house im- 
mediately. When he reached a safe place he 
took account of stock and found he had saved 
a revolver, a razor and a pair of blue glasses. 
Previous to this his wife had emptied his 
price lists and other things from his traveling 
bag and filled it with such things as she 
wished to save. On looking over these things 
she said to her husband: "Here is a good 
big envelope with something in it." It con- 
tained her daughter's hair combings. 

A wash woman was getting some of her 
possessions out of her home. Her daughter 
warned her not to stay any longer and 
thought she was safely out. A while after- 
ward she met her mother coming again from 
her home with a new broom and a duster. 

A South Salem man had a valuable piece 
of antique furniture and after scouting round 
a while ago found a mirror to match it. When 
the fire was coming his way he decided to 
save this piece. Carefully unscrewing the 
mirror he lay it on the bed. He removed 



96 THE SALEM FIRE 

some of his things, including this dresser. 
After getting his things safely landed he re- 
membered, too late, he had left the mirror on 
the bed. 

A Hancock street woman walked down 
Lafayette street with a glass of water in her 
hand, all she took from her home; and a 
woman in Broad street went into her home 
when it was burning and brought out from 
her ice chest a small piece of ice. 

Lost 

One South Salem man packed his silver- 
ware and some other things into suit cases 
and took them to Engine i house. His home 
burned up, so did the engine house. Many 
other things taken here for safety went up in 
smoke. An employee of the mill office took 
his musical instruments down there to keep 
them from harm. The mill office was des- 
troyed later. A woman drew $1,500.00 to 
pay off the mortgage and was away from 
her home when it was burned with her mon- 
ey. A woman bought a new pocket book the 
day before the fire. Going into her house in 




No. b Weaveshed at the Naumkeag Mills 

Before and After the Fire 

Photographs by M. E. Robb, Salem 



SAVED AND LOST 97 

a hurry she snatched the new pocket book 
and saved it, but the money, over $50.00, 
was in the old one. 



CHAPTER XV 
Spark Chasers 

BILLY JOHNSON, an ex-driver in 
the fire department, was passing a 
house on Margin street and noticed 
a fire on the roof. He went in and 
told the woman her roof was on fire. She 
said, "What can I do with no water in the 
faucet?" Billy inquired if she had tried 
the hot water tank. She admitted she had 
not. Billy drew some water and went on the 
roof. Not being able to put it entirely out 
that way, he got the axe, cut a hole in the 
roof, pulled off the shingles and the house is 
still standing. 

Bill Peterson and Clarence Lee are quite 
friendly and meet "now and then." Bill's 
home is on the southeasterly end of the 
burned district. The street adjoining Bill's 
was cleaned up. Clarence's home was in a 
fairly safe district and he, knowing Bill would 
98 







< ?2 






SPARK CHASERS 99 

not be home at that time, beat it to Bill's 
house, rendered "first aid" to the blazing 
shingles and Bill still has a home. 

Ed. Holt, a B. & M. conductor lives on 
Barr street. He was away at work on Thurs- 
day evening, June 25th. With a garden hose, 
a neighbor kept the side of Ed's house wet 
while those passing told him his work was 
in vain. The neighbor stuck, the house was 
scorched as the next one was completely 
consumed, but the persistent neighbor with 
the small garden hose won out and saved 
Ed.'s house. 

Dan. O'Brien came to Warren street and 
glancing at the coping of E. J. Faben's house, 
saw the coping under the tin roof on fire. 
Going to the front door Dan. rang the bell. 
The genial Joe Littlefield, who had been left 
to watch the house answered the bell. A few 
words of explantaion and these two with Di- 
bert and Dryer of Kressge's store reached the 
roof, and tearing up the tin, with tea-kettles 
and pans of water extinguished the fire. This 
large house was the possible key to the sit- 
uation here, as the chances are, If It had 
burned, lower Warren street and Chestnut 



loo THE SALEM FIRE 

street would have been fire-swept. 

In Hathorne street Mr. Price on the 
roof of the house, stuck there when it looked 
as if the house was going under him, but 
he won out in a position where the firemen 
could not place their water, because of the 
poor pressure. 

Minot Foote did his part in stopping the 
fire reaching Broad street from Hathorne, 
watching for hours a house where he had 
been working, putting out sparks and keep- 
ing the roof wet. 

Engineer Costello was working with three 
of his Peabody boys with us on an Engine 
3 stream in William Cass's house, corner of 
Hathorne and Broad streets, well into the 
night. The fire here had worked under the 
slate to the middle of the roof, and without 
a shut-off nozzle we had some job to get it. 



CHAPTER XVI 

Notes 

ENGINE 3 was nearly burned up 
three times. The first time at the 
corner of Federal and Boston, next 
at the corner of Boston and Essex, 
and the last time at Broad and Flint, when 
she was backed over a pile of cannel coal to 
save her. 

This last stand was a very hot one and the 
writer, while working under Capt. Remon, 
had two great stickers with him, namely Jack 
Callerly, chauffeur of Hose 2, Beverly, and 
Mr. Cheney, chauffeur for Dr. Phippen of 
Salem. The way they hung to their work 
was a caution. Later in Hathorne street, 
Irving Day, a volunteer stuck with us till 
about one A. M. working with us when his 
shop and tools were burning up over in Ha- 
zel street, helping make this stop w^hich was 
spoken of as one of the best. 

lOI 



I02 THE SALEM FIRE 

A retired fire captain of Boston heard of 
the fire and came down with his son, not 
stopping to tell his wife where he had gone. 
Over around Peabody street, a blazing pole 
fell on him, knocking him unconscious. Af- 
ter they brought him to, he hustled for home, 
not telling his wife then where he had been, 
but two days after, she discovered the 
bruises on his shoulder and he had to con- 
fess. 

John Cunningham, driver on Engine 3, 
though on his day off, came back and went to 
work. Capt. Lally of Boston, praised him 
for one job he did. At the time, he had the 
horse-drawn chemical and saved the house 
at the foot of Cedar street. Everything else 
here is burned up clean. Wrapping a blank- 
et round his head and shoulders he worked 
on this house and the Hopkins' factory, and 
to-day they are both standing. In many cities 
service of this nature bring a letter of thanks 
from the Board of Engineers and a day off 
to make up the one lost. Assisting Driver 
Cunningham were Joseph Pope, son of Capt. 
Pope, and William Carr. 

Some fire engines had to shut down for 



NOTES 103 

lack of fuel, while others burned fence rails, 
soft coal, hard coal or anything they could 
get. 

Driver DeGrandpe of Hose 2, Salem, 
went through some of the streets on the 
point, driving people out of the houses. In 
one house the woman was bound she would 
not leave. DeGrandpe pushed her out of 
the house, off of the steps and all the way 
down the walk to the street. When he got 
her to the street she was very indignant and 
told him she was going to report him. 

Lieut. William Annable, retired, is in the 
fight at all fires that amount to anything, 
and this one was no exception. He extin- 
guished fire at the Quaker church three 
times, but there was too much volume of 
flame behind it and later it burned. He went 
to Castle Hill and got the old hand reel, 
landed it in Hathorne street, laid two lines 
and did fine work here. One man from out 
of town with a fireman's badge he wore some 
years ago, and a special policeman's badge 
of more recent issue, made a good deal of 
extra work for our friend Annable. He in- 
sisted on taking the line to the roof against 



I04 THE SALEM FIRE 

Annable's advice, and would not be satisfied 
until with much tugging and straining they 
got it there only to find that at that height 
no water would leave the nozzle. Annable 
also piloted some out-of-town apparatus to 
proper positions. 

The Salem boys who worked on the Lynn 
ladders in North Salem under Chief Chase's 
orders, speak in the highest terms of this fire 
official. 

Early Thursday afternoon the Paine furni- 
ture autos were sent to Salem to be of as- 
sistance in moving families. 

Many automobiles did great work the day 
and night of the fire. Guy Folkins moved 
seventeen families with part of their belong- 
ings. At one place Folkins saw a man sit- 
ting in a big car with his head in his hands, 
apparently dazed. Jumping from his car 
Folkins shook the man up and told him to 
get to work. The man came up full of spirit, 
thanked Folkins and immediately got busy 
moving families. 

A man paid a dollar for a dozen dough- 
nuts the night of the fire, sandwiches could 
not be purchased at any price, and the drug- 



NOTES 105 

gists sold out everything drinkable even to 
vichey and apolinaris, the water being un- 
drinkable. 

It Is said there were 1,000,000 people in 
Salem the night of June 25th and 400,000 on 
one or two of the busiest days. 

Stephen Philips gave up his auto, one of 
the best in Salem, for relief work the night of 
the fire, and for ten days after it was in use 
by the police department, donated with the 
services of Patrick O'Hara, one of the finest 
chauffeurs round here, who In running er- 
rands turned over about fifteen hundred 
miles. 

Engineer Dawklns, on a day off, came 
round, I am told, and lent a hand at many of 
the engines. 

George Whelton, after working through 
the first of the fires in Boston street, took 
charge of the city spraying machine, and 
drawn by a pair of Sutherland's horses first 
and street department horses later, made a 
tour of the entire city. This machine first 
worked In Orne square. The fire in coming 
from Phelps street Ignited the roof of Cain 
Miller's house in the rear of Hathorne street 



io6 THE SALEM FIRE 

and jumped from there to the roof of Jas. 
Needham's house at the corner of Winthrop 
and Prescott streets. 

The sprayer extinguished fires on the roofs 
of three houses in Cedar street which 
were afterward swept away. All through 
Lafayette street, Derby street by the hos- 
pital, over in North Salem, taking care of 
the buildings of Parsons, Stearns, Koen and 
Collins' coal yard, also Dawson's house on 
Mason street, working on this roof from the 
cross-trees of a telegraph pole and finally on 
Derby Wharf the sprayer did fine work. 

A lighter belonging to the Beverly Wreck- 
ing Company, and having on it a derrick, div- 
ing equipment and other fittings caught fire 
while tied to Derby Wharf near the end. 
After midnight the hawser parted and she 
drifted out in the stream, finally beaching at 
the foot of East Gardner street. 

The Now and Thens gave their celebra- 
tion money, over $500.00, which was to be 
burned up on the Fourth, over to relief pur- 
poses. 

The Father Matthews building was well 
equipped for taking care of the refugees, 




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NOTES 107 

furnishing them mattresses at night. In the 
morning the floor was washed and the tables 
set for breakfast. There was plenty of food 
and the free use of the shower baths. Supt. 
Jas. J. Welch and a number of the members 
gave their time. 

A club known as the "Salem Fire Fight- 
ers" was formed and a spread laid. It is 
composed of Salem, Boston and New York 
newspaper men who "covered the fire." 
There will be a banquet in Salem next year 
on June 25th. "Billy" Scarles was elected 
the president. 

Pickering's coal pile and Ropes's hay were 
still burning July 13th. 

Three or four hundred boy scouts assisted 
in the relief work, having their headquarters 
at the Fraternity building on Central street. 

Friday evening, June 26th, quite a large 
portion of the lighting was resumed, quite a 
feat under the conditions. 

The familiar faces of Assistant-Superin- 
tendents Young and Joyce of the Prudential 
Insurance Company will be seen in the centre 
of the picture of the Barr and Buffum street 
ruins. 



io8 THE SALEM FIRE 

The moving pictures taken in Salem, June 
25th, were exhibited in Maiden and Med- 
ford on the second day of July. 




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5 



CHAPTER XVII 
Pathetic Incidents 

ALONE in the world with a tin 
bath tub, two chairs, a lamp and 
a little table, are John J. Long, 
aged 65, and his wife aged 60. 
They sat quite alone on Salem Common that 
morning, waiting for daybreak. They had 
no money. The couple lived simply, and 
the husband said: "Well, I'll have to begin 
all over again— it's hard when you're 65." 
The two lived at 46 Peabody street, a street 
which, in the morning, showed not a single 
wall standing. When the fire was at its 
height. Long was assisting others to fight the 
fire in Lafayette street. He heard somebody 
say "Peabody street is going." 

Long ran back to his house, found it in 

flames. He got upstairs somehow, and found 

his wife sitting helpless in the kitchen. He 

carried her out in his arms, through a stair- 

109 



no THE SALEM FIRE 

way that was ablaze and a door that was a 
framework of fire. Two young men had 
brought out the tin tub, the two chairs, the 
lamp and the little table. With their own 
hands the elderly couple took their belongings 
out to the common and sat down. At 9 
o'clock they were given the first food they 
had had since the night before, served by 
the militiamen from the armory near by. 
"Boston Post." 

A well-known business man told me that 
he and his wife stood and watched their fine 
home burn, with all their wedding presents 
and things they had taken so much pleasure 
in, and never shed a tear. The next day on 
the street he passed a Polish woman nursing 
her baby as she passed by him crying, the 
terrible reality of the disaster came to him, 
he sat down on the curb-stone, buried his face 
in his hands and burst into tears. 

A pitiful case was called to the attention 
of the police early in the evening by Supt. 
Andrews. An Italian woman, shortly to be 
confined, had been made homeless by the 
flames and separated from her husband and 
children and had established her temporary 



PATHETIC INCIDENTS iii 

home in the pastures back of the High School 
building. The poor woman was scantily clad 
and was compelled to depend upon the kind- 
ness of her companions in adversity for 
enough bed clothing to keep her warm. As 
soon as her case came to the attention of the 
police, Acting Sergeant Begley was sent to 
the scene in the ambulance and the woman 
was taken to the Peabody Hospital for prop- 
er care. "Salem News." 

A pathetic scene was witnessed in the ma- 
ternity hospital. After the fire Mrs. Fonchin 
Jolbert of 34 Congress street, was taken here. 
Her home was destroyed by fire and she came 
to the hospital for an operation. She could 
not understand English, and she cried con- 
tinually, but was unable to make the attend- 
ants understand her wants for some time. 
Finally it was learned through an mterpreter 
that her eight-months-old baby was missing. 
The next day Dr. Hughes visited the North 
Shore Babies' Hospital and inquired about 
different babies. One had been unidentified, 
a boy, who had been given the name of 
"Shackles." Dr. Hughes took the baby to 
the maternity hospital, and as soon as Mrs. 



112 THE SALEM FIRE 

Jolbert saw it she recognized it as her child, 
and the little boy, although only eight months 
old, showed a perfect delight in getting back 
to his mother. "Salem News." 



CHAPTER XVIII 
Red Cross Work 

BY orders of Supt. Bigelow of the 
Salem Hospital, by 8.10 P. M., all 
the patients, numbering fifty-seven, 
besides over fifty fire patients, had 
been removed in automobiles and ambulances 
to the Hospitals at Beverly and Peabody, and 
almshouse and contagious hospitals at the 
neck. There were thirty-two nurses under 
Mr. Bigelow, among whom were Miss Ellen 
Drisko, matron. Miss Lillian Jenkins, night 
superintendent, and Miss Marion dray, clerk 
in the oflSce, who telephoned and also direct- 
ed the people. All did magnificent work. 
Mrs. Mary Reed, a private nurse, was the 
first outside nurse to arrive. She was told 
the patients were being removed and imme- 
diately went to the hospital and assisted and 
then worked all night at the armory. Miss 
M. J. Award, Miss Madaline Stewart and 
m 



114 THE SALEM FIRE 

Martin Loftqulst from the Gilbert Peabody 
Hospital at Gloucester, walked ten miles 
round the city to get to the hospital and as- 
sist. 

Mabel T. Boardman, head of the Red 
Cross, came from Manchester Thursday 
evening, and Dr. Laura Hughes arrived Fri- 
day and took full charge of the Red Cross 
nurses. Friday the Red Cross in Washing- 
ton telegraphed $5,000.00, and the message 
that Earnest F. Bicknell, National Director 
of the American Red Cross, left Washington 
at I P. M. for Salem. The work they did 
here was fine. The administration building 
of the hospital, practically all that was left, 
was opened June 30 to be used as an emer- 
gency hospital, Dr. Phippen's home to be 
used in conjunction with the same. 

The American Red Cross headquarters in 
Salem, received the following letter July 10: 
"Kind friends, I wish to thank you sincerely 
for your unceasing labors in the interest of 
relief, personally; and I am sure all my co- 
workers here acknowledge the importance of 
your stay among us. Without the aid of your 
society, the work of relief would have been 







to 

o 



RED CROSS WORK 115 

an almost unsolvable enigma and even to- 
day with the relief work systematized through 
your efforts, your help Is still needed. Being 
assured that by your co-operation Salem will 
once again rise from her ashes, I remain, 
Yours, 

Rev. J. D. Binnette, 
Forest River Camp/' 

Miss Mabel T. Boardman, made the fol- 
lowing statement: "The Red Cross Is very 
pleased to receive this appreciative letter. It 
has been a gratification to the Red Cross to 
be of assistance In the serious disaster in Sa- 
lem. The Red Cross feels that the people, 
both those who have suffered by the fire, and 
those who have not, have done great work." 

The modified milk station was opened a 
week earlier than It was Intended, June 27, 
on account of the fire. There was immediate 
need of aiding the babies so the station was 
opened In Broad street. They were able to 
supply all the prepared milk that was need- 
ed. Miss Catherine Buckley, the board of 
health nurse, and Milk Inspector McGrath, 
with two aids had charge of the station. Up 



ii6 THE SALEM FIRE 

to noon on June 30 they had prepared and 
dehvered 736 feedings. The milk was put 
up in four, six or eight ounce sterilized glass 
bottles, four, five or as many feedings as were 
ordered a day being packed in tin pails with 
ice to keep the milk cool until needed for the 
infants, when it was to be heated to the re- 
quired temperature by the mothers, accord- 
ing to the doctor's orders. 

The maternity hospital at the North 
Church parish house opened up June 28th in 
charge of the wife of Dr. Mixter of Boston, 
assisted by Miss Macaulay of Salem, Miss 
Holten of the Massachusetts General Hos- 
pital and Miss Gibbs, deaconess from Lynn. 
By July 2nd there were five babies and their 
mothers here, three French, one Italian and 
one American. Two girls and a boy were 
born here. 

The North Shore Babies' Hospital has 
been active for nine years, and is the only 
hospital in this vicinity caring exclusively for 
very young children. It is carefully and eco- 
nomically managed. The cost of mainten- 
ance being per capita $1.44 per day. On the 
twenty-ninth of June there were thirty-eight 



RED CROSS WORK 117 

babies here whose parents were left without 
homes. There were three lost babies whose 
parents had not called for them. These were 
found in homes where the parents had left 
them when they fled from the fire. Many 
mothers were nearly frantic until they learned 
where their babies were. One boy from the 
Forest River Park was tagged "Tecla, Gone 
to Brockton." This baby was nine months 
old. The other boy came from the same 
place, a plump little mite eight months old. 
The girl was born at the Salem Hospital, tak- 
en to the Beverly Hospital the night of the 
fire, then brought back again. She weighed 
three and a quarter pounds. Little Sidonia, 
standing up inside the fence, wears a plaster 
cast. Miss Marion Holmes, the superinten- 
dent stands in the door of the tent. Sixty- 
seven cases were treated here in 19 13. 



CHAPTER XIX 

Relief Work 

IT Is impossible to give credit on the 
relief work to all who gave their time 
or to touch on all the branches of this 
work. It must necessarily be gone over 
hurriedly. The "Salem Evening News" 
opened a relief fund early Friday morning, 
June 26, and the first subscriptions were : 

Salem Evening News $500.00 

John S. Saltonstal, Beverly. . . 500.00 

Moustakis Bros 100.00 

Henry F. Banks 100.00 

The relief committee established head- 
quarters at the armory at 7.30 A. M., June 
26. Governor Walsh called a meeting at the 
State House at 9.30 A. M., to form a gen- 
eral relief committee, and John F. Moors 
was made chairman. At 10 A. M. the regu- 
118 



RELIEF WORK 119 

lar meeting of the city council was held and a 
meeting of the citizens called for 12 M. At 
10.30 A. M. a check for $25,000.00 arrived 
at City Hall from H. C. Frick, also two of 
his automobiles to be used as needed. The 
President wired to Governor Walsh as fol- 
lows: 

*'I am sure I speak for the American 
people in tendering heartfelt sympathy to 
you to the stricken people of Salem. Can the 
Federal Government be of service to you in 
the emergency? 

Signed, 

WooDROvi^ Wilson.'' 

Among those present at the conflagration 
were Governor David I. Walsh, Lieut. Gov- 
ernor Barry, ex-Mayor John F. Fitzgerald 
of Boston, and ex-Senator George Tinkham 
of Boston. Said the governor: ''My heart 
fairly aches for the people of Salem to-night. 
I never saw a more distressing picture than 
this in all my life." 

Lieutenant-Governor Barry said: "I am 
here to render such assistance as the Gover- 
nor may desire. The Governor and I held a 



I20 THE SALEM FIRE 

conference and decided to come to Salem and 
get the facts about the fire first hand." 

Early Friday morning offers of help had 
been received from Mayors McDonald of 
Beverly, Newhall of Lynn and Good of 
Cambridge, also from Congressman Gardner 
at Washington. By noon the Ward Bak- 
ing Co. had two ton of bread in Salem, and 
Mayor Scanlon of Lawrence, two car loads 
of bread and provisions, Cobb, Bates and 
Yerxa sent 156 gallon of coffee, creamed and 
sweetened from Boston. Finance Commis- 
sioner Turnball sent fifteen truck loads of 
provision from Lynn. Hood offered 1,000 
pints of milk a day and, the Mohican 
Market 1,000 rations a day, and many oth- 
ers in the surrounding cities and towns 
showed a like kindness. 

The committee of 100 elected John B. Tiv- 
nan, chairman, and Josiah Gifford, secretary, 
Gardner M. Lane, treasurer of the main re- 
lief fund. Other committees appointed, on 
food, John E. Spencer, on housmg, John 
Deery, on labor, Wm. F. Cass, on transpor- 
tation, Dan. A. Donahue, on clothing, Mrs. 
J. W. Helburn, on publicity, E. G. Sullivan, 



RELIEF WORK 121 

on insurance, Wm. S. Felton, and on general 
information, Harlan P. Kelsey. By 10 A. 
M., June 27, over $150,000.00 had been sub- 
scribed. By the same time the Beverly Re- 
lief Committee had been formed consisting 
of Oliver Ames, H. C. Frick, T. A. Shu- 
man, Frederick Ayer, Jr., Philip S. Sears, 
Thomas B. Beale, John S. Saltonstal, Sydney 
Winslow, Jr., and Gordon Dexter. A mes- 
sage was sent that Beverly would raise $100,- 
000.00. Committees were formed in all sur- 
rounding cities and towns. 

The Now and Then hall was offered the 
relief committee and was accepted. Sections 
were arranged for different nationalities. The 
employment bureau was at the armory. The 
following provisions were made for the sick 
by the health committee: Maternity cases 
at the North Church parish house, contagious 
diseases at the contagious hospital, sick ba- 
bies, North Shore Babies' Hospital, surgical, 
Salem hospital, accidents, armory, milk sta- 
tions, for babies, i Y. M. C. A., Dr. Henry, 
2 House of Seven Gables, Dr. Ahearne, 3 
Salem Fraternity, Dr. Curtis, 4 Loring ave- 
nue. Cash Grocery, Dr. Tucker. 



122 THE SALEM FIRE 

New members were added to the relief 
committee from time to time, and all worked 
nobly. The Governor was everywhere cheer- 
ing and encouraging all and working as hard 
as any subordinate. Ex-Mayor John F. Fitz- 
gerald of Boston, was one of the first out of 
town workers to arrive, and one of the last 
to leave. The work was conducted through 
the armory. Now and Then Hall, Franklin 
Building, Knights of Columbus and North 
Street Rink. 

Hon. David M. Little was elected the 
"executive officer" of the board of health dur- 
ing emergency (without pay). Mr. Little 
looked after some of the details and clerical 
work, also assisting in an advisory capacity, 
which was very valuable on account of his 
long experience In city affairs. He was as- 
sisting in the mayor's office also. 

Space forbids us to mention the contribu- 
tions of food, clothing and money from all 
sources. It was a pleasure to meet our 
friend Timothy Toomey from Filene's with 
several auto loads of supplies. The tag-day 
campaign started by Frederick W. Mozart 
of Maiden, and participated in from day to 




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RELIEF WORK 123 

day by Maiden, Lynn, Marblehead, Cam- 
bridge, Haverhill and Boston netted nearly 
$20,000.00. These were conducted among 
the sight-seers in Salem, Newburyport and 
Quincy conducted them in their own cities. 
Boston also had a carnation day in Boston. 

Lodges, churches and societies early start- 
ed a relief fund for their own sufferers, a type 
of assistance that was very effective. The 
Salem Firemen's Relief Association divided 
their available funds among forty-six mem- 
bers who were burned out, giving them fifty 
dollars apiece. The Massachusetts Permanent 
Firemen's Association sent three hundred dol- 
lars to the permanent firemen who were 
burned out and the fire departments through- 
out the state sent money for the firemen 
which gave them each quite a tidy sum. Chief 
Cade of Wakefield, bringing the first 
$200.00. 

The clothing supply was particularly well 
handled under the management of Mrs. J. W. 
Helburn, over one thousand people a day be- 
ing taken care of at first, the clothing being 
for the most part new. The Salem Fund by 
July 22 had almost reached $97,000.00. The 



124 THE SALEM FIRE 

state fund on the same day was $569,177.00. 
Congress voted $200,000.00. Congressmen 
Gardner, Phalen and Gallivan putting up a 
great fight, not to forget Gov. Walsh. 




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CHAPTER XX 
A Few Days at the Camps 

JUNE 26. The camps were started to- 
day. On Bertram Field at the High 
School were two hundred tents three 
cots in each. Major Wm. J. Casey of 
Ninth Infantry, had charge here. At Forest 
River Park were one hundred tents. Col. 
Frank A. Graves had charge here with a 
company of the Ninth and one of the coast 
artillery. Governor Walsh visited the camp 
at dusk. Twins arrived here at daybreak. 
Camp Sherry, near the Willows had one hun- 
dred and fifty refugees. 

June 27.— At Bertram Field camp are nine 
hundred and fifty people of whom three hun- 
dred are children and thirty are babies. Cap- 
tain Frederick A. King is in charge of the 
relief work here. Sergeant F. H. Rein and 
forty men are delivering modified milk to the 
mothers and the babies. 
125 



126 THE SALEM FIRE 

June 28.— On Sunday, in tents with wood- 
en floors are living twelve hundred refugees 
at Forest River Park. Saturday the militia- 
men made, from boxes, a rude altar. To- 
day silken covers were laid over it, two can- 
dles were lighted and a plain wooden cross 
was placed above it. The choir from the St. 
Joseph's, most of whom were burned out, 
were there. At 10 A. M. in the pouring rain, 
over three thousand gathered to celebrate 
high mass. Father Binnette, assistant rec- 
tor of St. Joseph's, had charge, Father Rain- 
ville having sailed two days before the fire 
for Montreal. In the afternoon Governor 
Walsh addressed the camp with words of 
cheer. There was no sickness. Captain Wil- 
liam N. Tenney, Surgeon of the Massachu- 
setts Cavalry is medical chief. Captain Geo. 
T. Latimer, Company H, Fifth Regiment of 
Chelsea, in charge. 

June 29.— There are now over four hun- 
dred tents and over fifteen hundred people at 
Forest River Park. A large dining tent has 
been secured which seats hundreds. To-night 
for supper they had canned corn, two pota- 
toes, two slices of bread and butter, steak, 



A FEW DAYS AT THE CAMPS 127 

cake and coffee. 

June 30. — To-day many of the people at 
Forest River Park went in bathing. To- 
night the Eighth Regiment Band played pa- 
triotic music. Every evening Father Binnette 
conducts services, assisting him are Fathers 
Fillien, Tanquay and Baillargeon. At Ber- 
tram Field the United Shoe Machinery Band 
played to-night. 

July I.— Alfred Audet and Adelard Le- 
vesque gave each child a bag of candy to-day. 
Lynn City Band played to-night at Forest 
River Park. 

July 10. — Tents are being struck now every 
day, and at Bertram Camp only two families 
remained to-day and these are being removed 
to Forest River Park. At Camp Sherry all 
are removed, families finding tenements or 
going with relatives. 

July II. — At Forest River Park Capt. 
Frank S. Perkins relieved Col. Frank M. Cut- 
tmg from command as he wished to join his 
regiment at Lakeville camp. There are now 
about seven hundred in camp. 

July 24.— There are to-day four hundred 
and eighteen in camp. Throughout the month 



128 THE SALEM FIRE 

that the refugees have been in camp there has 
been a remarkable absence of sickness. Cap- 
tain Latimer and two Boston doctors are now 
the only ones in charge, outside of Captain 
Perkins' detail. The sanitary arrangements 
have been perfect. At the busiest time in 
camp there were thirty officers of the medical 
corps of the Massachusetts militia in charge 
of Col. Frank P. Williams, Surgeon Gen- 
eral. 



CHAPTER XXI 
The Telephone Company 

FROM the time the fire alarm blew, 
Manager Butterick and his assist- 
ants were very busy people. The 
manner in which the calls were re- 
ceived and transmitted, the cable men and 
linemen did their work in repairing damage, 
and extra machines installed for relief work 
reflect great credit on all, from the manager 
to the humblest employee. 

The first extra work, of course, was the 
notifying of the militiamen and the surround- 
ing cities and towns that aid was needed, 
which, in addition to the hundreds of people 
who wished to know the extent of the fire, 
was no easy task. All employees off duty 
came in, some having to go miles out of their 
way to get to the ofl^ce. 

About one-third of the entire number of 
telephones in use were burned. Some of the 

129 



I30 THE SALEM FIRE 

largest private branch exchanges in the city 
were burned, and practically one-third of all 
the cables connecting Salem and the entire 
North Shore with Boston and the Metropol- 
itan district. How they overcame the dif- 
ficulties, replacing burned cables, poles and 
hanging wires, to give proper service to those 
having homes and places of business still left, 
the connecting up of temporary quarters 
of those burned out, as Kipling says, "is 
another story." My few remarks on the gen- 
eral efficiency of our local telephone exchange, 
unexcelled any where, I believe, must bear 
on the connection it had with the relief work. 
Friday morning special telephones were 
requested for relief work, they to be installed 
in the armory. Before noon seven were in 
working order. The militia needing the ar- 
mory, the relief committee had to move to 
Now and Then Hall. This necessitated the 
moving of fifteen telephones from the armory 
to the Now and Then Hall, Saturday morn- 
ing. In doing this a lot of new cable had to 
be strung, but it was accomplished promptly. 
Then in the removal to the Philips School, 
new cable had to be laid underground beside 



THE TELEPHONE COMPANY 131 

that hung. All this was accomplished prompt- 
ly, and all calls from over sixty special lines 
are made by the relief workers through the 
private branch exchange shown in the picture. 
How much we owe to the telephone and the 
tireless workers operating the same cannot 
be expressed. The stringing of wires to 
Forest River Park was also quite a task. The 
many installations of telephones for relief 
work made it necessary to print a special 
card with a list of these numbers. 



CHAPTER XXII 
First "Come Backs" 

SATURDAY, June 27. -With a fine 
tent and one barber's chair, surround- 
ed by lone chimneys and cellars full of 
debris, John Frazier the barber, 
whose shop was burned here on Boston street 
near Federal, resumed business. Undaunted 
by the conflagration he was there to wait on 
his customers. 

Friday noon the official statement made 
by Henry P. Benson, that the Naumkeag 
Steam Cotton Mills would vote on Saturday 
to rebuild larger and better than before was 
welcome news. 

Pitman and Brown were fortunate in hav- 
ing the Washington street offices and store 
house to fall back on the next morning after 
their mills were burned. 

Monday, June 29.— Zina Goodell was giv- 
en a temporary permit to put a roof on the 
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FIRST "COME BACKS" 133 

brick walls of his garage. 

Arthur N. Webb lost his fine printing plant 
on Washington street. He immediately or- 
dered a new equipment for the barn in the 
rear of his house where he started business 
when he was 14 years old. 

The first chimney erected in the burned dis- 
trict was put up by Samuel Blair the well 
known mason for Mr. Bourgeois, the proprie- 
tor of the Sunshine Bakery on Leach street. 
The name of the bakery is typical of the spirit 
of those burned out. A visit to the Sunshine 
Bakery showed a clean place and four busy 
men. The chimney was erected July 4th. 

A. J. Sylvester received the first formal 
permit for a permanent building, a two story 
brick bakery at 16 Leavitt street for J. Dube, 
granted July 13. 

One of the early "come-backs" was the 
Langmaid Lumber Company who erected 
temporary offices almost before their ruins 
were cool. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

Rebuilding of Our City 

JUNE 29.— The City Council in session 
adopted an ordinance as follows : "Here- 
after all roofs that shall be constructed, 
altered or repaired shall be covered with 
slate or other incombustible material, and the 
gutter shall be of metal or covered with 
metal." 

The committee of 100 discussed a rebuild- 
ing commission of five, to be local men, and 
Messrs. Chappie, Sullivan and Longley drew 
up a petition to be presented to Governor 
Walsh, the substance of which was that five 
local men be appointed to be called the Sa- 
lem Rebuilding Commission to serve three 
years without pay, to have charge and control 
of the construction of all public buildings, 
take land by right of eminent domain, grant 
permits to build, pass regulations as to the 
location, size, material to be used in con- 
struction, the space between said buildings, 

134 



REBUILDING OF OUR CITY 135 

changing of parks, squares, streets, sidewalks, 
discontinuing, laying out, relocating, altering, 
widening and repairing of all streets. 

This petition passed both branches July 
3d, and went to the Governor to sign July 7. 
Governor Walsh appointed on the commis- 
sion Edmund W. Longley, Eugene J. Fa- 
bens, Dr. Emile Poirier, Dan A. Donahue 
and Michael L. Sullivan. At 7.30 Wednes- 
day night the commission held their first 
meeting. Mr. Fabens was elected chairman 
and Mr. Donahue secretary pro tem. The 
city council and Engineer Ashton joined the 
conference on rebuilding, the latter present- 
ing plans for the rebuilding of the burned 
district, widening of streets and the laying 
out of new ones. 

The commission engaged as consulting 
architect, C. H. Blackall for three years at a 
salary of $5,000.00 for the entire time, and 
elected John T. Quinn as clerk. The first pub- 
lic meeting of the commission was held at 
Ames Memorial Hall, and many prominent 
citizens spoke on the laying out of streets. Mr. 
Blackall presented a code of building laws 
and recommendations governing the new 



136 THE SALEM FIRE 

structures for the burned district at the meet- 
ing July 13. 

July 14. — The commission gave a hearing 
to the Lafayette street residents, who have a 
live committee. John E. Stanton, James N. 
Clark, Robin Damon, Earnest P. Lane and 
P. O. Poirier. They want : 

"Wires underground or on ornamental 
poles." 

"Trees planted along Lafayette street." 

"Three-deckers prohibited in this district." 

"No stores or shops on Lafayette street 
from Harbor street up." 

"Park bounded by Harbor, Latayette and 
Washington streets." 

"No courts or private ways off Lafayette 
street." 

The commission announced the list of 
streets which will not be relined, and on which 
owners may build as soon as they file their 
plans and get the permit. At this same meet- 
ing, July 16, it was stated that no wooden 
structures of any sort could be built within the 
burned district. Later it was stated that the 
wooden house matter was being considered. 

July 20.— At a meeting of the commission. 




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REBUILDING OF OUR CITY 137 

Mr. Sullivan won out on his contention for 
wooden buildings with a covering of incom- 
bustible material. It was voted to employ 
an assistant to Mr. Blackall. At the July 
23d meeting of the commission Robin Da- 
mon was given the first permit to rebuild on 
Lafayette street. A meeting of citizens of 
Ward 5 was held Friday evening, July 24, 
and a committee appointed to wait upon the 
commission and ask permission to build the 
so-called three-deckers on the point, the same 
to have metal gutters and non-combustible 
roof. 

The Salem Rebuilding Commission has a 
whole lot of work cut out for it, bat we know 
they will meet it in a fair way and for the 
welfare of the majority. With our fine wa- 
ter front, best of railroad facilities, freedom 
from labor troubles we have faith in our city's 
growth as a manufacturing center. As a 
residential city it is all that can be desired. 
The splendid spirit of optimism which has 
so far carried the people over the hard places, 
we believe will prevail in the future and from 
the ruins rise a city far better than the Salem 
of the past. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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